Ilam Hall, Ilam Park

Summary

Ilam Hall was rebuilt for Jesse Watts Russell by James Trubshawe in 1821-26 in the Gothic style to the designs of architect John Shaw. A large picturesque mansion with battlements and turrets, part of which was demolished in the 1930s (see NTSMR 69654). The hall is now mainly in use as a youth hostel.

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Description

An estate at Ilam has existed since the Anglo-Saxon period. In 1004 Wulfric Spott gave his land at 'Hilum' to the Benedictine Abbey of Burton on Trent. The Staffordshire Record Office holds a copy of a survey of the manor that is dates to c.1114 AD that documents a church, priest and mill. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1529 the Burton Abbey land passed to William Paget, principal secretary to the King. He sold it to John Port in 1547.

The Ports built a hall in the 16th century thought to be within the vicnity of the current terrace south of the hall as suggested by a drawing by Mrs Delany in 1756 (DE Landscape, 2017: 36). As well as building a hall, the Ports also influenced the landscape by altering the course of the River Manifold, constructing several zigzag paths leading from the south of the garden to the river, and the construction of a haha. In 1809, following the death of John Port, the Ilam estate was put up for sale and it was bought by Jesse Russell for his son (also Jesse) and fiancee Mary Watts. Between 1821 and 1826 Jesse Watts-Russell pulled down the old hall and built the current one.

Jesse Watts-Russell died in 1875 and the estate was sold to Robert Hanbury, MP for Tamworth. The Ordnance survey mapping of 1881 and 1898 show a number of additions to the hall, including the construction of a large array of glasshouses to the south-west of the stable block.

In 1927 Edward C.S. Backhouse bought the estate and converted parts of the house to a restaurant and hotel. Newspaper reports also describe a 18-hole miniature golf course, miniature rifle range, maze walks and a ballroom for dancing (Derby Daily Telegraph 1 April 1931; 6). In 1932 Ilam Hall was opened as a Youth Hostel and although the intiative initially appeared popular in 1933 Backhouse was declared bankrupt and put the hall up for sale again.

In 1934 the hall was bought by Robert McDougall (a flour manufacturer from Cheadle Hume) who tried to gift it to the Stoke-on-Trent Corporation, but it was rejected due to the cost of maintenance and inaccessibilty. McDougall decided that part of the hall should be let to the Youth Hostel Association. As the YHA did not require the more formal parts of the hall it was agreed that this part of the house would be demolished. According to Porter (1999) it was W. A. Cadbury who saved the Inner Hall, donating £500 after he heard there were plans to demolish it the day after his visit. The formal agreement between the National Trust and the YHA were concluded in 1935. When McDougall died in 1938 he gifted the whole of Ilam Park estate to the National Trust.

(1) The current Ilam Hall was built by James Trubshawe for Jesse Watts-Russell in 1821-26 in the Gothic style to the designs of John Shaw. It was a large spectacular picturesque mansion with battlements and turrets but survives only sadly truncated, as a porte cochere or gateway and a hall with five high Gothic two light windows now horizontally divided. Refer to listed Building Information for detailed description. The house is run as a Youth Hostel by the Y.H.A, in accordance with the wishes of Sir Robert McDougall who donated the nucleus of this property to the Trust in 1938 (Pevsner, 1974).

Prior to the Watts Russell's rebuilding the Hall in the 1820's the old road through Ilam ran through the estate from Wood Lodge (SK 1340 5060) over St Bertram's bridge (60111) and ran along behind the church (SK 1328 5066), on through the field called Weal Orchard to join up with the drive from the Hall. Weal Orchard is where the old village of Ilam stood. It would seem that Watts Russell demolished the village and moved the road because they were too near his Hall (Fraser 1992).

(2) In Spring 2019 a historic building record was undertaken by the Jessop Consultancy Ltd of the stables (60159), Hall Cottage (69566), Pepperpot Tower (60098) and the parts of Ilam Hall currently used by the National Trust (Learning Room and Bothy). The recording was done to a Level 2/3 standard as set out in Historic England guidance. The Bothy and Learning Centre represent elements of the first phase of Ilam Hall, dating to 1820-1824, comprising a former wash house and service rooms for the main hall.

The bothy represents a central element of the ancillary north range of Ilam Hall - it comprised part of an adjoining wash-house and brewhouse complex, two functions which were commonly joined on account of their similar requirements for water and heat. The buildings were notably situated at the most distanct point of the hall complex, potentially indicating the undesirability of the smells generated by these domestic industries. The interior of the bothy has been substantially altered in the 20th century and the legibility of its original function now gone.

The learning centre room originally formed part of the ground floor containing a family dining room and service rooms. When parts of the main house were demolished in the 1930s this area of hall was remodelled into the southern tower. As such the present area retained few indicated of its original function beyond a fragmented layout. For further detail please see the final full building report (Jessop Consultancy, 2019 - SNA68108 / ENA9423).

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