Callington No. 1 / Calwetone

Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of a group of remarkable fonts in this county, "all nearly alike, being square at the top, with human heads at the corners, and circles inclosing [sic] stars on the sides, supported by serpents, &c." Described in 'On the ancient stone fonts of Cornwall' (1851): "There is a fine Norman font, apparently of a somewhat later date than that at S. Enoder, (probably circa 1090.) in the church of S. Mary, Callington. The upper part is octagonal, but there are heads at the corners, and the bowl is rounded off, under the heads. The bowl is supported upon an octagonal shaft, displaying the cable moulding, and resting upon a very massive circular plinth, which is placed upon an octagonal base apparently of later date. On the sides of the bowl are carvings of crosses, kaves, &c., and a circle containing star-like radii." The Gentleman's Magazine (issue of June 1860: 600) reports on the 19 April 1860 meeting of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society at College Hall, Exeter, in which the Revd. AE. B. Hutchison 'read a paper on the Restoration of St Mary's at Callington, a daughter church of SouthHill, Cornwall", in which it was reported: "The font is square, Norman, carved on all sides, round base, with octagonal shafts at the angles" [NB: there is a monograph by this same author, Revd. AEneas B. Hutchison, listed in the general BSI bibliography, in which Hutchison reports" "The font, of Norman character, has been removed from its posiition in the north aisle, and more correctly placed against the westernmost pier of the south aisle". It is not clear whether or not the 'incorrect' position of the font was the original one]. Described and illustrated in Fryer (1901) as a Norman Transitional font. Described in Cox (1912): "The fine Norm, font points, however, to a chapel of some size and importance in early days; it is of Hicks Mill Greystone, 29 in. square and 36 in. high, with human heads at angles of rim; on N. and W. faces of bowl are large roundles divided into 8 rays, whilst the other faces are carved with conventional branches." Described in Tyrrell-Green (1928) as one of the "Launceston group" of fonts: "a very distinct type of large font, with bowl of cushion capital shape supported upon a single shaft, and having a human head at each angle, with on each face a six-pointed star, or in a few cases (as at Callington) a tree, encircled by grotesque monsters" [T-G lists ten fonts in this group]. "This Norman design was reproduced, so far as general appearance goes, but with fifteenth-century detail, at Lifton, in the same district, but just over the border in Devon." According to Cox & Harvey (1907), the handsome fonts of Callington and Landrake somewhat resemble those of St. Stephen and Maker; "the bowls are squared at the top and have human heads at the angles, but no shafts proceeding from them". Tyrrell-Green (ibid., p. 11) mentions Dupath Well in this parish as one of the baptistery chapels in Wales and Cornwall built near holy wells. Noted in Pevsner (1970): "Font. A coarse example of the type of Altarnun, St Thomas Launceston, etc., with faces at the corners and rosettes in circles." The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SX3588369646] notes: "Parish Church, consecrated in 1438. Nave possibly slightly earlier [...] Norman pedestal font with round bowl on later octagonal base of granite blocks. Bowl with rope work at waist and 4 figure heads at corners. Decorated on 4 sides with palmettes and crosses. Locking flat octagonal cover of timber and wrought iron [...] Remains of holy water stoup on east wall." [cf. Index entry for Callington No. 2 for a noteworthy holy-water stoup in this church]