Castle Acre - Norfolk -15th Century Font
Posted by: 
Norfolk12
N 52° 42.156 E 000° 41.184
31U E 343679 N 5841699
Castle Acre's towering font cover, one of the best in Norfolk. It dates from the end of the 15th century, and the plain yet elegant font suits it well.
Waymark Code: WM8452
Location: United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/24/2010
Views: 5
The village of Castle Acre is a major tourist attraction in Norfolk. The church of St James the Great stands in the middle of the village amidst the ruins of the Norman castle and those of Castle Acre Priory..
Visitors often miss the church which is a great shame for it contains many interesting features, including a wine glass pulpit, a medieval rood screen and a magnificent wooden font cover.
The Friends of Castle Acre Church assist in raising funds to maintain this fine church.
The otherwise excellent guidebook on sale repeats the myth that these covers were intended to stop people stealing holy water for witchcraft.
In any case there were holy water stoups outside all entrances available freely. People customarily took water holy water home to use in their own devotions, and this was an accepted practice, as it still is in Catholic culture to this day.
details from leaflet inside church.
Approximate Age of Artefact: late 15th century
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
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