West Runton / Rugutune / Runton / Runetuna / Runetune

Of the three entries for this locality in the Domesday survey, and transcribed and translated in Blomefield (1805-1810), only one, "Runetune", is listed with a church in it, "a church with 6 acres". This holding belonged to Turkel until the Conquest, but passed hence under the lordship of William de Escohies [aka Escois]. It is quite likely that the church itself was pre-Conquest. Blomefield (ibid.) notes: "The Church is a rectory, dedicated, as said, to the Trinity. Ancient valor 26 marks. Peter-pence 6d. In the reign of King Edward the rector had a manse with 22 acres of land; and the prior of Bromholm a portion of tithe valued at 2 marks. [...] The church has a nave and 2 isles, covered with lead, and a chancel tiled." The present font here is listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a stone baptismal font of the Decorated period [NB: Cox & Harvey give the location simply as 'Runton']. Noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1997): "Octagonal, with many small ogee-headed panels, perhaps Dec[orated]." Illustrated in Knott (2006). The font has traceried pattern on the basin sides, while the moulded capitals of the colonnettes of the base serve as ornamentation of the underbowl; between the colonnettes of the base are plain trefoil arches; raised on an octagonal lower base and a plinth of the same shape. The wooden cover has a flat octagonal platform with eight vertical scroll ribs converging at an acorn and cross finial; in Jacobean style, but probably Victorian; brightly painted and gilded.