Pyle / Y Pîl

Described in Newman (1995) as a font probably from the late 15th century: "Octagonal bowl on a square base, all unusually richly, if crudely, decorated. Circular chip-carved discs alternate on the faces of the bowl with trees such as a child might draw." Newman attributes authorship of this font to the same craftsman who executed the one at Llanharry (Ibid.) On the font at Llantrisant Thurlby (2006) writes: "the font was not replaced with the rebuilding [i.e., by J. Pritchard between 1872 and 1874]. It is octagonal and each face is decorated with a roundel with chip-carved ornament. Newman [cf. supra] related the font to those at Llanharry and Pyle and dated them to the fifteenth century [...] While the affiliations are convincing, the chip carving is more at home in the twelfth, rather than the fifteenth century. This was the view expressed by J. Romilly Allen, although the octagonal form of the font led him to attribute it to the thirteenth century [...] However, the Norman font at Mears Ashby (Northants.) provides a good analogue for the octagonal form and the decorated roundels at Llantrisant". [NB: is there an older font in this church, or is this what Thurlby [cf. supra] argues about? -- Romilly Allen (1884), pointing out "three pointed objects like spear heads" carved above the Agnus Dei on the font at Hutton Cranswick, notes that "on the Norman font at St James Chapel, Pyle, Glamorganshire, are some similar devices" [discrepancy of fonts to be pursued/completed]