Woodford nr. Kettering / Wodeford / Woodforde / Wudeford

Described and illustrated in Parker (1849): "the font, which is hexagonal and apparently of Early English character." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a noteworthy example of Norman font. C&H refer to an "engraving in the architectural volume on the Archdeaconry of Northampton of 1849." The Victoria County History (Northampton, vol. 3, 1930) notes: "The church of All Saints or St. Mary (fn. 133) probably existed at the time of the Domesday survey, when the priest appears amongst the tenants of the Bishop of Coutances. [...] the original structure was an aisleless early 12th century church with nave and chancel of equal breadth, to which about 1200 a north aisle and chancel chapel were added. [...] The church, which is of rubble throughout, was restored in 1867. [...] The 13th-century font has a plain hexagonal bowl on six detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases grouped round a central cylindrical stem, and mounted on two hexagonal steps. On the underside of the bowl at the angles are small sculptured faces." A recent illustration of this font is posted at the Woodford Parish Council web site [www.woodfordpc.co.uk] with a caption that reads: "The font dates from the 13th century and was originally located in the north aisle, being moved to the current location [near one of the western pillars of the nave, south side of the centre aisle?] during the restoration in 1886. The six sided bowl is situated on six small heads and is supported by six vertical columns. The font is covered by a wooden lid with an iron handle." The hexagonal basin has a strange shape: the side panels are vertical and separated from each other by a vertical angle groove, but it has a chamfer at the top of every other angle; this chamfer is quite marked and appears part of the original design. The heads mentiones in the Parish Council site description are carved at the lower basin side ahgles, right at the end of the vertical groove, and serve as pseudo-capitals to the six outer colonnettes of the base; these colonnettes have moulded capitals and bases, and are detached from the broad central shaft of the base; the columns rest on a narrow and plain octagonal lower base; the plinth is octagonal with a kneeling stone extension. The font is not mentioned in Pevsner & Cherry (1973). The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SP9693876732] notes: "Church. Mid C12. Early and mid C13, C14, chancel reconstructed C19 [...] Octagonal font with central column and 5 detached shafts restored C19."