Workington

INFORMATION

Font ID: 01535WOR
Object Type: Baptismal Font1, fragment
Font Century and Period/Style: 11th - 12th century / 14th - 15th century, Norman / Perpendicular?
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Michael
Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in the baptistry
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Michael
Church Address: Falcon Pl, Workington CA14 2EZ, United Kingdom -- Tel.: +44 1900 604450
Site Location: Cumbria, North West, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located on the junction of the A595-A66, 13 km W of Cockermouth
Historical Region: formerly Cumberland
Font Notes:
Mannix & Whellan's History, gazetteer and directory of Cumberland (1847) records "an ancient octagonal stone font" located under the tower. Calverley (1899) mentions "an old font" in this church. Cox & Harvey (1907: 194) list a baptismal font of the Norman period, a noteworthy example. Kelly's Directory of the county for 1910 records "the font given by the Sunday school children in 1896", obviously a second font to take up the functions of the ancient one. Pevsner (1967) writes: "Font. Octagonal, with panels semicircular at the foot. Probably Perp[endicular]." [NB: apparently a fire started by vandals in 1994 resulted in a lot of damage to the interior; it is not clear from the available sources whether or not the ancient font was affected]. [NB: according to Pevsner (1967) the church of St. John, on Washington Street has a "font cover by Sir Ninian Comper, 1931, in his Italian mood."]

COORDINATES

UTM: 30U 464166 6055508
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 54.6457, -3.5553
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 54° 38′ 44.52″ N, 3° 33′ 19.08″ W

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, type unknown
Number of Pieces: [fragment?]
Font Shape: octagonal
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

REFERENCES

  • Calverley, William Slater, Notes on the early sculptured crosses, shrines and monuments in the present diocese of Carlisle, Kendal: T. Wilson, 1899, p. 283
  • Cox, John Charles, English Church Furniture, New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1907, p. 194
  • Kelly, Kelly's Directory of Cumberland, London: Kelly's Directories Ltd., 1910, [unavailable]
  • Mannix, History, gazetteer and directory of Cumberland, Cumberland: Michael Moon, 1974 c1847, (unavailable)
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, Cumberland and Westmorland, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1967, p. 209