Baptismal Font - Church of St Mary, Raynham Park, East Raynham, Norfolk. NR21 7ER
Posted by: 
greysman
N 52° 47.675 E 000° 47.184
31U E 350750 N 5851716
A C15th font in a C19th rebuilt estate church.
Waymark Code: WMVJKV
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/25/2017
Views: 0
This Estate Church in Raynham Park was rebuilt by the 5th Marquis of Townshend 'At His Sole Cost' between 1866 and 1868 by Clark and Holland of Newmarket, Architects, at a total cost of £7,000 and the dedication was on April 17th 1868, the Friday of Easter Week. Now listed Grade II* it is built of flint with stone dressings and slated roofs, except for a leaded chancel. Despite the building dates this is not High Victorian in style but still "archaeological" Decorated / Perpendicular in detail and form following in plan the church it replaced. Consisting of a west tower, clerestoried nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches, chancel and a south transept. The tower is square buttressed and battlemented with pinnacles with a south stairs turret with lancets, also battlemented. The west three-light window is Perpendicular, and the two-light belfry windows are Decorated, there is also a quatrefoil window to the clock room. It contains a ring of eight bells hung for ringing in the English style, and a clock bell to sound the hours.
The aisles have three Perpendicular windows, are battlemented and have porches with Decorated details, the clerestory is battlemented with Perpendicular tracery. All gables have stone crosses at their apices, that from the nave gable is missing.
The Decorated-Perpendicular chancel was the gift of the Rector Mr. Phayre with the south transept expressed as a porch and now converted to an organ chamber. The five-light Perpendicular east window has the head of the bishop and Queen Victoria. A carved stone plaque in the ringing chamber recalls the rebuilding of the church thus:- “SOLI DEO GLORIA / The Nave Aisles And Tower Of This Church / Were Rebuilt By The Fifth / Marquis Townshend / At His Sole Cost / The Chancel Being Rebuilt By / Richard Phayre Rector / This Edifice Was Opened For / Divine Service On Friday / April 17th 1868.” Translates as 'Glory to God Alone'.
The C15th octagonal stone font, at the west and of the north aisle, has a traceried stem and in the bowl panels alternate roses and crosses and some traces of its original paint. It's mounted on an octagonal lipped plinth.
Words from British Listed Buildings, Simon Knott's Norfolk Churches, Pevsner's Norfolk 2 Buildings, and the Norwich Diocesan Association of Ringers bell pages with amendments from own on site observations.
Coordinates are for the south porch entrance.