Brightwalton / Beorhtwaldingtun / Brichtwaleston / Brickleton / Bright Waktham / Bright Waltham / Bright Walton / Brightwaltham / Brightwalton / Bristoldestone / Brithwalton

There is an entry for Brightwalton [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU4279/brightwalton/] [accessed 12 May 2015], and it mentions a priest and a church in it. Murray (1882) reports a Norman font in this church. Described in 'Church notes...' (1887) in the context of some "notes [that] were taken between 1835 and 1840": "The font is cylindrical and Norman, with intersecting arches around it." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Norman period. The Victoria County History (Berkshire, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "The church is mentioned in the Domesday Survey [...] The church of All Saints [...] was built in 1862 when the old church, which stood a little to the north-east, was pulled down. Such old work as was retained shows that the former church dated from the first half of the 13th century. [...] The font is said to be ancient, but, if so, has been very much retooled; it has a large cylindrical bowl with an interlacing arcade of round arches." The Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers [http://www.odg.org.uk/history/newbury/brightwalton.html] [accessed 20 July 2010] notes a "Norman tub font moved from the old Saxon church which is shown in an oil painting near the door"; the font is now located in "in the centre of ringing circle which was moved from the old church." The CRSBI (2008) notes: "At W end of S aisle under tower. Large, almost cylindrical tub font of oolitic limestone carved with intersecting arches, 13 in all, in the form of flat raised bands with no capitals or bases. Fillet around the rim and chamfered foot. There is an irregular crack right around the middle of the bowl. Inserts on the rim diametrically opposed indicate that its lid was once lockable, hence probably medieval. Lead lined. [...] probably medieval rather than 19thc."

The font, which appears to have been cleaned or restored, has a round basin decorated with a blind arcade of round arches all around. The wooden cover is round and flat, the top surface carved; appears modern.