Norman Font - St Mary - Everdon, Northamptonshire
Posted by: SMacB
N 52° 12.717 W 001° 07.877
30U E 627675 N 5786257
Norman font in St Mary's church, Everdon.
Waymark Code: WM138RQ
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/13/2020
Views: 1
At the west end of the nave in St Mary's church, Everdon, is a Norman octagonal font. The bowl is made of Sussex marble, carved in low relief with plain round-headed arcading, with two bays per face. The lower rim is hollow chamfered.
The font is supported on a cylindrical central shaft with eight slimmer shafts at the angles - these may be more modern, but they stand on a worn, chamfered octagonal base which may be contemporary with the font. All this is set upon on a modern step. The interior of the bowl is circular and lead-lined.
"Dimensions -
ext. diam. of bowl at top (across corners) 0.76 m
ext. diam. of bowl at top (across flats) 0.71 m
h. of bowl 0.39 m
h. of font (not step) 0.93 m
int. diam. of bowl at top 0.52 m
Comments/Opinions -
Pevsner describes the font as Purbeck and 13thc. The date might well be correct, but it follows a 12thc. form, commonest in Sussex but extremely widespread, and is likely to have been imported to Northants.
St Mary's is a spacious church with a four-bay aisled and clerestoreyed nave, probably 14thc., and a broad aisleless chancel, also 14thc., with a N vestry. The W tower is Decorated too, and of three storeys. The nave doorways are both under porches. Construction is of ashlar. The only Romanesque feature is the Sussex marble font."
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