Kilpeck No. 2 / Chipeete

There is an entry for Kilpeck [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SO4430/kilpeck/] [accessed 19 May 2015], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. Cox & Harvey (1907) quote the Gentleman's Magazine of 1833: "The font is a huge circular bason of granite, 4 feet in diameter, set on a cylindrical column 10 feet in circumference; the height of the whole is 3 feet". Described and illustrated in the RCHM Herefordshire (1931-1934) where it is dated late 12th or early 13th century. Jenkins (1999) writes that "it is so big it could be used as a bath"]; not believed to be the work of the Herefordshire School which made other fonts in the area. Halsey (1987) argues that, "despite its present ungainly appearance, it is a special font, one of a group of eight in Herefordshire made of a local reddish-brown, psammitic limestone, called 'Breccia' or 'Cornstone'" and that it is the work of the Herefordshire School [NB: the eight fonts are: Bishops Frome, Bosbury, Bredwardine, Kilpeck, Kingstone, Madley, Turnastone and Vowchurch]. Hutton (1957) describes it as "a Norman font of unusual design and workmanship." Described and illustrated in Bond (1908). Thurlby (2006) adds Llantilio Crossenny (Gwent / Monmouthshire) as a smaller version of this group. On-site notes: mounted on four side columns with one central pillar; this is a non-constructional type - pillars are not carved from the same stone as the bowl. Plain, no ornamentation. No lead lining. There is evidence of a lid once being attached to the rim: the metal staples are still in the rim. [We are grateful to Peter Fairweather, of Lincoln, for his image of this font]