Broadhembury / Broad Hembury

The baptismal fonts at Broad Hembury [sic] and North Molton are described in Lysons (1806-1822) as "octagonal, very richly ornamented with quatrefoils, foliage and the figures of saints under niches." Described and illustrated in Bond (1908) The design of this font is rather contrived: the octagonal basin has pentagonal side panels, which makes for an oddly-shaped prismatic chamfer from where the four square outer colonnettes start; these colonnettes have square capitals; there is also a broader central shaft; the panels of the basin are ornamented with three arches: a taller central one is mono-angular and is occupied by a standing figure (bishops by all appearances, while the shorter ones at the sides have a trefoil shape and contain shields; there are rosettes on the sides of the capitals atop the colonnettes and foliage on the underbowl surface. Even if the individual elements are not strange to this style, the combination gives this font a disjointed or uneven presence. Stabb (1908) thought otherwise: "The Norman font [...] ranks amongst the finest half dozen in Devonshire, it is octagonal in shape, supported on square central and four corner pillars. The panels are carved with figures of saints and bishops, and there are shields for arms with the arms obliterated, if they were ever present" and, although he is certainly describing the font at Boradhembury, the font is definitely not Norman. Noted in Pevsner (1952): "Font. Perp[endicualr], octagonal with primitive tracery and surprisingly primitive figures."