Deerhurst / Derheste

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Results: 31 records

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design element - motifs - spiral

Scene Description: most of the motifs on the base are now badly eroded but the odd spot has retained the spiral so evident on the basin

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

design element - motifs - spiral

Scene Description: Spiral motif characterised as "Celtic" by various sources [cf. Font notes]

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

design element - motifs - vine

Scene Description: all around the upper border of the basin

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph taken 15 October 2007 by Holy Hates, of Sacred Destinations [www.sacred-destinations.com]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

design element - motifs - vine

Scene Description: all around the bottom side of the basin

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph taken 15 October 2007 by Holy Hates, of Sacred Destinations [www.sacred-destinations.com]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

information

Scene Description: Source caption: "Donation par Guillaume le Conquérant à l'abbaye de Saint-Denis de l'église de Derhest, dans le comté de Gloucester. Acte en latin, daté du 14 avril 1069."

Image Source: digital image of the parchment original in the Archives Nationales [AE/III/61 -- Original accession number: K/20/5] [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donation_par_Guillaume_le_Conquérant_1_-_Archives_Nationales_-_AE-III-61.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of base

Scene Description: the original carving no longer discernible here

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of basin

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of basin - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "Decoration on the early medieval font at St Mary's Priory Church in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire".

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Decoration_on_the_font_at_St_Mary's_Church,_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of basin - detail

Scene Description: the side drain and the spiral pattern

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of basin - interior

Image Source: digital photograph taken 15 October 2007 by Holy Hates, of Sacred Destinations [www.sacred-destinations.com]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of basin - interior - detail

Scene Description: the two drains visible here

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph taken 15 October 2007 by Holy Hates, of Sacred Destinations [www.sacred-destinations.com]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of church exterior

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of church exterior - apse

Scene Description: the ruined apse of the church

Image Source: digital photograph taken 11 June 2013 by Nifanion [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Mary's_Priory_Church,_Deerhurst_(4499).jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - apse - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "The Saxon 'Deerhurst Angel' high on the south wall of the ruined apse of the Priory Church of St. Mary's, Deerhurst Minster. Mainly Saxon (9th - 11th Century) and Early English (13th Century). The Angel's head and wings are very similar to figures depicted in the Book of Cerne, a Mercurian manuscript c.830."

Image Source: digital photograph taken 22 June 2014 by Hugh Llewelyn [www.flickr.com/photos/58433307@N08/14411733800] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.0

view of church exterior - apse - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "Deerhurst - St Mary's church - Face of the Deerhurst Angel"

Image Source: digital photograph taken 28 May 2018 by Rob Farrow [www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5815827] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - east view

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eastern_end_of_St_Mary's_Priory_Church,_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - tower - west portal

Image Source: digital photograph taken 5 February 2012 by HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEERHURST_ST_MARYS_CHURCH_WEST_ENTRANCE.JPG] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - west portal - north side - label end

Scene Description: Source caption: "The early medieval animal head on the northern end of the entrance to St Mary's Priory Church in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire."

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Animal_Head_on_the_northern_end_of_the_entrance_to_St_Mary's_Priory_Church,_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - west portal - south side - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "The early medieval animal head on the southern end of the entrance to St Mary's Priory Church in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire."

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_Animal_Head_on_the_Interior_of_St_Mary's_Priory_Church_Doorway.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior in context - southwest view

Scene Description: Source caption: "Priory church of St Mary, Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, seen from the southwest, with Priory Farmhouse on the right".

Image Source: digital photograph taken 5 February 2012 by HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEERHURST_ST_MARY'S_CHURCH_EXTERIOR_VIEW.JPG] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - nave - looking east

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_nave_of_St_Mary's_Priory_Church_in_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - nave - west end

Scene Description: Source caption: "The western end of the nave at St Mary's Priory Church in Deerhurst."

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_End_of_the_Nave_at_St_Mary's_Priory_Church_in_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font

Image Source: digital image of a B&W photograph in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of font

Image Source: digital photograph by David Ross [http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/glouces/Deerhurst/Deerhurst-Photo-5.htm] [accessed 16 October 2008]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of font

Scene Description: Source caption: "9th-century font, decorated in a unique trumpet-spiral design showing strong Welsh influences. This is reputedly one of the oldest surviving fonts in England."

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 September 2009 by Chris Gunns [www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1733117] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.0

view of font

Scene Description: showing the side drain hole [later made?] now patched up

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of font

Scene Description: the back side; damage showing

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 19 July 2000 by BSI

view of font

Image Source: Gethyn-Jones (1979: pl. 57a)

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font in context

Image Source: digital photograph taken 29 July 2018 by Ethan Doyle White [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Font_at_St_Mary's_Priory_Church,_Deerhurst.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2018]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font in context

Image Source: digital photograph taken 27 December 2015 by Philafrenzy [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Mary's_Priory_Church,_Deerhurst_06.JPG] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font in context

Image Source: digital photograph taken 5 February 2012 by HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEERHURST_ST_MARYS_CHURCH_FONT.JPG] [accessed 31 January 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

INFORMATION

FontID: 01121DEE

Church/Chapel: Priory Church of St. Mary

Church Patron Saints: St. Mary the Virgin

Church Location: Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, GL19 4BX

Country Name: England

Location: Gloucestershire, South West

Directions to Site: Located 5 km S of Tewkesbury, 15 kms NNE of Gloucester

Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Gloucester

Historical Region: Hundred of Deerhurst

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in the NW corner

Date: ca. 1053?

Century and Period: 9th - 12th century (11th century [Pudelko], Pre-Conquest? / Norman?

Cognate Fonts: Romilly Allen (1888) gives the font at Edgmund [i.e., Edgmond], Shropshire, as similarly shaped and decorated

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Holly Hayes, of Sacred Destination [www.sacred-destinations.com], to David Ross, of Britain Express [www.britainexpress.com], and to John Wilkes, of www.allthecotswolds.com, for their additional photographs of this font

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

There is an entry for Deerhurst [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SO8729/deerhurst/] [accessed 31 January 2019] but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. The Journal of the British Archaeological Association (1846) reports a reading before the Society from a communication by a Mr. W. H. Gomonde, of Cheltenham, with a drawing of the old font of Deerhurst Church, which, according to Mr. Gomonde, 'was kept in a farmyard for many years', adding that it may have been ejected from the church during the time of the Reformation or of Commonwealth; Mr Gomonde further reports that 'I hear it has been sold for the sum of £6 and carried away I know not where.'" In the same source there is a comment by J.O. Westwood, who suggested a very early date for this font. These comments are gathered by a "J.G.", in the Gloucestershire Notes & Queries (1884), who adds that "the peculiar ornament of the font, --that of a spiral line running off and conjoining with similar lines, forming an endless pattern, -- is especially Irish, and is found in the finest of the most ancient illuminated Irish copies of the Gospels, and in those which were executed in England, under the influence of Irish missionaries"; he further notes that this motif does not re-appear in manuscripts later than the 9th century, which he uses to suggest a date "in the time of the Venerable Bede himself", stating though that the arabesques on the rim and and on the base are probably later, perhaps of the 11th century. Discussed and illustrated in Hudd (1886-1887), who describes it as Saxon. Described in Romilly Allen (1888), who provides measurements of the object, and suggests the dating of the dedication stone of this church as appropriate for the font as well. Romilly Allen (Ibid.) adds that "a font of similar shape [...] with interlace work upon it, exists at Edgmund [i.e., Edgmond], in Shropshire." Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of pre-Norman date; its broken portions "have been cleverly restored"; another entry in the same source (ibid.) argues that there is no reason to doubt it being at least as old as the dedication date of the later Saxon chapel itself, i.e., 1053, "and probably pertains to the much older church. In his section on Celtic ornament, Jones (1910), who calls the pattern created by the use of this type of spiral scroll motif "the trumpet pattern", as it reminds him of "an ancient Irish trumpet", states that "the only instance of its occurrence in England, as far as we are aware, being on the font at Deerhurst Church. Bearing in mind that this ornament does not appear in MSS, executed in England after the ninth century, we may conclude that this is the oldest ornamental font in this country." The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "The upper part of the Saxon font at Deerhurst was in Longdon Church from 1845 to 1870. It was restored to Deerhurst in the latter year, when the lower part of the font was recovered". Clapham (1930) compares the double spiral motifs on this font with those found on a pendant of the Trewhiddle hoard, with date to 875 which he suggests for this font. The church guide [cf. infra] writes: "Acknowledged as the finest Saxon tub font in existence. Carved from a single block of limestone, with spiral decoration, it was discovered over a hundred years ago being used as a drinking trough in a local farm. It was brought back to the church and reunited with its stem which bears the same pattern." (Priory Church of St Mary, guide, 1992). The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Gloucester, vol. 8, 1968) notes: "The parish had by a.d. 804 a monastery which became a Benedictine priory, and then a cell first of the Abbey of St. Denis, Paris, and later of Tewkesbury Abbey. [...] The priory buildings survived in part in 1964 as a private house. (fn. 2) The parish is unusual in having two Saxon churches; the parish church, formerly the priory church, is one of the largest and finest Saxon churches in the country, and Odda's chapel is one of the few Saxon buildings that are dated. [...] The parish church was the church of Deerhurst priory [...] existed by 804 [...] The greater part of the building survives from the AngloSaxon priory church, although it has undergone many alterations. [...] For long it was thought that the surviving Anglo-Saxon building belonged mainly to the end of the 10th century, [...] which would agree with the tradition that the church was destroyed by the Danes. [...] More recently it has been suggested that the main building survives from the period before the Danish incursions. Such a suggestion makes more sense of alterations to the church within the Anglo-Saxon period [...] The font, standing at the west of the nave, is thought to belong to the Saxon church although it was restored to Deerhurst only c. 1880. It was found on a farm before 1846 and given to Longdon church (Worcs.), where it remained until the stem of a font with similar ornamentation was found at Deerhurst. The font was brought back and placed with the stem in Deerhurst church, [...] but the stem, which is partly octagonal, may not belong to the bowl, which is circular. (fn. 493) Both are decorated with carved spiral ornamentation which is thought to show Celtic influence." Gethyn-Jones (1979) calls it "pre-Conquest". This type of spiral decoration was described by Romilly Allen: "the band of which the spiral is formed remains the same breadth throughout its whole length [...] copied direct from the metal-work of Pagan times." Hence some dating of the Deerhurst font was projected to the 9th century, but Bond (1908), quoting A.E. Hudd, argues for a late date if only because of the presence of scrollwork. Noted in Verey & Brooks (1999-2002) with date in the 9th or 10th century and details of the fonts' history: It was used as a washing tub at a farm until 1844, when Bishop Wilberforce bought it for Longdon church, Worcestershire. Some twenty-five years later the stem was found at Apperley Court and the two reunited (if they do indeed belong together) at Deerhurst church c. 1880." Blair (2005) suggests a "late ninth or early tenth century?" perhaps for this font. On-site notes: the bottom of the basin is slightly narrower than the top and rests on the matching base, which has approximately the same height as the basin, although it is of a different stone and has been savagely recut to serve as the base. The whole rests on a plain octogonal plinth with one of its faces extended towards the wall. The decorative pattern on both basin and base is made up of two narrow bands of flowers and other vegetal elements at the brim and bottom parts; the central surface of the bowl is covered with a network of double-spiral motifs. A patched hole on the side of the basin could be due to its function as a trough rather than related to the original drainage. Tyrrell-Green (1928) points out the similarity of the pattern motif on this font to that found on the "carving upon the door-jamb in the eighth-century church of St. Laurence at Bradford-on-Avon (Wilts), and is of a type that occurs nowhere else in England. Dr. G. F. Browne suggested that the ornament in both cases may have been executed under the influence of the monks at Malmesbury Abbey, which was founded from Ireland." [NB: the basin has now two drain systems: one, in the centre of the inner basin, the second, to the side of it, as would be expected in a trough; this side drain, quite likely made by the farmer who bought the basin for use in his farm, has an exit in the outer side of the basin]

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 51.967692, -2.189759

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 51° 58′ 3.69″ N, 2° 11′ 23.13″ W

UTM: 30U 555663 5757755

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, limestone

Number of Pieces: two

Font Shape: cylindrical (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: round

Drainage Notes: the side drain may have been made when the basin was used as a farm trough

Rim Thickness: 6-7 cm*

Diameter (inside rim): 60-61 cm*

Diameter (includes rim): 73-74 cm* / 72.5 cm**

Basin Depth: 35 cm* / 32.5 cm**

Basin Total Height: 52 cm* / 50 cm**

Height of Base: 53 cm / 53.75 cm**

Font Height (less Plinth): 105 cm* / 103.75 cm**

Notes on Measurements: * BSI on-site. [NB: the height of the base includes the 5 cm height of concrete or mortar which links basin and base] / ** Romilly Allen, in ft/in

REFERENCES

Gloucestershire Notes and Queries, London: Wm. Kent & Co., 1881-1884

Victoria County History [online], University of London, 1993-. Accessed: 2010-06-01 00:00:00. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk.

Victoria County History [online], University of London, 1993-. Accessed: 2012-07-18 00:00:00. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk.

Allen, J. Romilly, "On the Antiquity of Fonts in Great Britain", XLIV, Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 1888, pp. 164-173; r["References"]

Betjeman, John, An American's Guide to English Parish Churches (including the Isle of Man), New York: McDowell, Obolensky, 1958

Blair, John, The Church in Anglo-Saxon society, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005

Bond, Francis, Fonts and Font Covers, London: Waterstone, 1985 c1908

Clapham, Alfred William, English Romanesque Architecture before the Conquest, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930

Cox, John Charles, English Church Furniture, New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1907

Friar, Stephen, The Sutton Companion to Churches, Thrupp, Stroud (Gloucs.): Sutton Publishing, 2003

Gethyn-Jones, Eric, The Dymock School of Sculpture, London: Phillimore, 1979

Hudd, A.E., "On the Saxon Baptismal Font in Deerhurst Priory Church, with Notes upon other Early Fonts", 11 (1886-87), Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 1886-1887, pp. 84-104; r["References"]

Jones, Owen, The Grammar of Ornament, London: Quaritch, 1910

Pudelko, Georg, Romanische Taufsteine, Berlin: Wurfel Verlag, 1932

Rickman, Thomas, An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of Architecture in England, from the Conquest to the Reformation, with a Sketch of the Grecian and Roman Orders, An [7th ed. -- orig. published in 1817], Oxford and London: Parker and Co., 1881

St. Mary's Church at Deerhurst, Priory Church of St. Mary at Deerhurst [a guide], Much Wenlock, Shropshire: RJL Smith & Assocs., 1992

Stocker, D.A., "Fons et origo: The Symbolic Death and Resurrection of English Font Stones", I (1997b), Church Archaeology, 1997, pp. 17-25; r["References"]

Taylor, H.M., Anglo-Saxon Architecture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965-1978

Thurlby, Malcolm, Romanesque architecture and sculpture in Wales, Little Logaston, Woonton, Almeley, Herts.: Logaston Press, 2006

Tyack, George Smith, Lore and legend of the English Church, London: W. Andrews, 1899

Tyrrell-Green, E., Baptismal Fonts Classified and Illustrated, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: The Macmillan Co., 1928

Verey, David, Gloucestershire, London: Penguin Books, 1999-2002