Church of the Holy Cross, Ilam

Start of the 39-mile Peak Pilgrimage, a walking route to Eyam

Highlights

• Tomb shrine of St Bertram
• Two holy wells
• Saxon/Viking stone crosses
• Hermit’s cave

Few could be unmoved by the tragic tale of St Bertram. He sought a hermit’s consolation at Ilam after his wife and newborn baby were killed by wolves, finding solace amid these high hills. So devoted was his life of prayer, he won many converts, and was acclaimed a saint locally soon after his death.

He is also known as St Bettelin. Unfortunately records of his life are scant, and some of the detail might be borrowed from other saints’ lives. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints claims the wolf story is copied from St Bertelme of Fécamp – but St Bertelme turns out to be even more elusive than Bertram. I can’t find any other references to him.

In terms of holy places, however, St Bertram is writ large across this landscape. A tomb shrine, two holy wells and a hermit’s cave are more than most English saints have to their name. It is thought that he lived in the 8th century, when this land was wilderness.

Such physical evidence strengthens the view that St Bertram was a real person of local importance. The church alone indicates that early Christians were greatly attracted to this place. The font, a rustic early Norman or even Saxon piece of carving, is believed to show scenes from St Bertram’s life. Human figures mix with dragons and the Lamb of God bearing a cross. The church building contains much other ancient stonework.

The shrine draws pilgrims as it has done for centuries. Like other surviving shrines, it has gaps in the base of the structure where the sick could reach in for healing. Today people leave prayer requests, which are read out during church services. The shrine housing is 14th century, but the tomb cover is said to be 9th century.

And the big question: is St Bertram’s holy body still here? The somewhat inevitable answer is that we don’t know. St Bertram was the son of a Mercian king. He originally lived in a hermitage on an island near Stafford and moved to Ilam in the early 8th century.

Two Saxon crosses stand in the cemetery, one possibly marking a monk’s grave. The carving on the moss-covered stump of the larger one is said to show Viking influence, but it is much eroded.

Holy wells and hermit’s cave

It is easy to mistake the large well near the church as St Bertram’s healing spring. I had to visit Ilam twice, having made the mistake myself. The actual holy well is half a mile away, tricky to find on the side of a steep and muddy hill. Finding his hermit’s cave is even harder. In order of accessibility, the two holy wells and hermit’s cave are as follows.

The first well is 80m from the church. It has a wide stone and brick chamber for the water. It would be large enough for immersion baptism if the water level were raised, but there are no steps down and a metal gate restricts access. It is not the actual source, which arises nearby and is directed here in a conduit. The well was almost certainly used for baptism, and is sometimes called St Bertram’s Well, like the other holy spring.

This second well is considered more holy by those in the know. It is still used by Orthodox Christians for outdoor services, though the flow is tiny. It is also tricky to find, up a hillside to the north of town, tucked away beside a drystone wall. The water emerges from a small, crudely built stone surround. Boulders and rocks are scattered around, suggesting this structure was once larger but still rudimentary.

The well is set on the side of a natural amphitheatre, at the head of a valley. There is only a trickle of water now, suitable for taking the saint’s blessing by hand. The saint’s cave is hopelessly difficult to locate, in a wild landscape 4 miles northwest of Ilam down winding lanes. I give only the map references rather than directions, as it is not a recommended experience.

I followed a rough footpath beside the River Manifold, hoping to reach Beeston Tor. This is a limestone cliff marked with a cave on the OS map, said to be the site of the saint’s secret hermitage. Barbed wire, an indistinguishable path, and a man on the opposite bank wielding a chainsaw convinced me to abandon my search until evening. I crept back at dusk and eventually found my route blocked at the foot of the impassable limestone cliff. The light was beginning to fade in this shady and remote valley.

Directions

Church of the Holy Cross, Ilam, Ashbourne DE6 2AZ

W3W: outs.iceberg.cools

GPS: 53.0533N 1.8036W church

W3W: duet.woof.probing

GPS: 53.0601N 1.7966W well

W3W: skid.painting.nature

GPS: 53.0838N 1.8423W(approx) cave

The church is easy to find, in front of Ilam Hall, a National Trust site. It is open even when the stately home is closed. The church holds services on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, but check before visiting. The first holy well is 80mdue south of the church; walk past the church towards the bridge and you will find it easily. The second holy well is a steep 10-minute walk up the valley to the north of Ilam. Head out of the village on the road to Thorpe. As you pass the last building on the left there is an open hillside with a National Trust sign for Bunster Hill. Walk up the hill to meet the path above this sign and turn left. The path follows a stone wall. After 300m you reach a stone wall with a wooden stile over it. Don’t cross the stile, but fork right and walk along the outside of the stone wall, towards a few trees. The well is on the right by the path after 270m, about 90m after passing the largest tree.