Shrivenham / Schriveham / Seriveham / Sherevenham / Shervenham / Sheryngham / Shrinam / Sortiveham / Sryvenham

There is an entry for Shrivenham [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU2388/shrivenham/] [accessed 9 June 2015]; it mentions a church and five hides of church lands in it. A font here is described in 'Church notes...' (1887) in the context of some "notes [that] were taken between 1835 and 1840": "The font is either Norman or Decorated, probably the latter. It has a large octagonal bowl of Purbeck marble, with the round-headed arches in low relief, and quite plain, upon each face. The stem is cylindrical, and rest on three octagonal steps, of which the upper is Purbeck. The stem is too light, and has been strengthened by a number of wooden shafts placed round it. They are of the date of the modern church, but do not seem to have replaced older ones. If this be so, it would be well to remove them and strengthen the stem by a stout iron tube lined with copper." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a noteworthy baptismal font of the Early English period. Listed in Leach (1975) as a font made of Purbeck marble; "the bowl rests on a circular plinth; the two lower stones of the base are later". The Victoria County History (Berkshire, vol. 4, 2011] notes: "Except a part of the west wall, which is apparently of the late 12th century, and the tower, which dates from the first half of the 15th century, the church was rebuilt in its present form [...] in 1638. [...] The late 12th-century font is of Purbeck marble, and consists of an octagonal bowl, 11 in. deep, on a circular stem and octagonal chamfered base, the whole 28 in. in height, standing on two stone steps. The bowl was at one time supported by wooden balusters at the angles, [...] but these are now gone. The sides are plainly panelled, with two round 'arches' in each face, and the lower edge is moulded." The entry for this church in Historical England [Listing NGR: SU2407289077] notes: "Originally a c12 foundation, cruciform in plan whose central tower was rebuilt early in the C15 [...] The late C12 font of Purbeck marble has an octagonal bowl with round arched blind panelling set on a round Stem with an octagonal base." The font consists now of an octagonal basin decorated with pairs of rounded arches on each side; it is raised on a plain cylindrical stem and a three-step lower base or plinth combination. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat, modern.