Saffron Walden

Described and illustrated in Paley (1844): octagonal font of the 15th century in the Perpendicular style; the octagonal basin has quatrefoil panels with a small flower in the centre. The underbowl has three mouldings and a large Tudor rose on each side; the octagonal stem of the base has a trefoil arch on each side, a Tudor flower in each. "In 1793, long before any interest was taken in church furniture, the then Vicar, the Rev. W. Gretton, had this Font restored, as we learn from the following inscription, to make room for which he cut away one of the ornaments of the upper part of the shaft: 'Hoc lavacrum antiquum restitui curavit W. Gretton, Vicarius, A.D. 1793.' Also on the rim of the bowl he carved 'Maneat usus mei, tollatur abusus.'' It is noted in The Ecclesiologist (issue no. CXLII, February 1861: 29): "The font is rightly placed near the south door, but has neither base nor cover, and being of small size may easily be passed unseen." [NB: had Paley not seen the font already restored in 1844?] Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a noteworthy baptismal font of the Perpendicular period made of Ketton stone. Noted in the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (Essex, 1916-1923): "Font: octagonal, with sunk cusped panels, late 15th-century, much repaired with cement." In Pevsner (1976): "Font. Octagonal, C15 to early C16, with quatrefoils and shields." Bettley & Pevsner (2007) do no mention the shields but add "fleurons".