IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hall Court, ILKESTON, DE7 6GS

View from the south west. The tower is 15th century, Perpendicular, as is the clerestory. The Listing description comments that the 20th century boiler house is “not of special interest”!

View from the north west. The tower is 15th century, Perpendicular.

The font. The date and origin of this are a mystery. One suggestion is that it is the base of an old village cross, but it does not appear sufficiently weathered for this. It was installed in the church in 1878 after being discovered in Derby and investigations following this suggested that it probably came from West Hallam Hall, home to a Roman Catholic family who would have used it for secret baptisms. It was thought to have been presented to Derby Museum from the ancient chapel at Mapperley, which was replaced by a new building in 1851.

The nave, looking east. This view shows the distinct difference in colour in the stone used in the south arcade and the clerestory above it, the latter matching the north side arcade and clerestory. South arcade (right) is early 14th century, chancel arch mid 14th century, clerestory 15th century.

The north aisle arcade. Thought by some sources to be late 13th century, although Pevsner considers it “hard to date”. The lack of a break in the stonework between the arcade and the clerestory, in comparison with the south arcade http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5477222 suggests it could be contemporary with the addition of the clerestory, mid/late 15th century. Notably the 14th century south arcade and chancel arch are not formed from the same red ironstone.

14th & 15th century parish church, restored in the 19th century

The south door. The doorway is 14th century, and the studded door is also clearly of considerable age. This would have been the normal entrance to the church until the north porch, on the side nearest the village, was added in the 19th century.

Stained glass in the south clerestory. This represents St James the Less carrying the fuller's bat with which he was martyred in 62AD. It is reputed to have come from Dale Abbey, by way of West Hallam Hall, and would therefore be 15th or early 16th century, judging by the style.