South Brent nr. Plymouth

Listed in Lysons (1806-1822) as a baptismal font "among many of circular form and an early age, enriched with various carved mouldings, wreaths, scrolls, or foliage". Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as having a baptismal font of the Norman period.. Described and illustrated in Bond (1908) as a baptismal font of the Norman period/style; he lists it with those early fonts the design of which is "still imperfect", i.e., those in which the three well-defined parts are not yet evolved (ibid.). The basin is hemispheric with a broad rope motif on the upper basin side; the middle band of the basin has large palmette motifs, while the lower side and the underbowl have a rib-like pattern on them. The upper pedestal of the base is round and plain; the lower part is made of two roll mouldings and a squat square plinth, all plain. Noted in Stabb (1908): "The font [...], made of red sandstone, is Transitional Norman in design, with a circular bowl with cable moulding, supported on a shaft with a base of two rolls, standing on a plinth." Described and illustrated in Clarke (1916) as one of twelve Devon fonts of about the same period [Norman/Late Norman] decorated with a prominent band of honeysuckle or palmetto motif all around the basin [the twelve are: Ashprington, Blackauton, Buckfastleigh, Denbury, Cornworthy, Dartmouth St. Petrock's, Paignton St Andrew's, Plymstock, South Brent, Thurlestone, Ugborough and Wolbororugh, all in Devon]". "Though this font has all the characteristic features of the developed honeysuckle bowl", adds Clarke (ibid.), "it has a distinct style of its own, because the design is modified; the subdivisions of the honeysuckle, instead of touching, as in every other instance, are separated from one another by an appreaciable space, so that the individual groups are deeper than broad, while usually the reverse is the case. The bounding lines are single, whereas in all the rest are double. The cable twist below the rim is so wide that it looks almost like a series of lozenges. The saw-tooth of the bowl remains unaltered. The font is of red sandstone, but the bowl is whitewashed. It has been repaired in some places, and new stine inserted. There is no lining." Described in Tyrrell-Green (1928) as a "graceful Devonshire example" of early fonts ornamented in high-relief; rope moulding motif. Noted in Pevsner (1952): "Circular, Norman, with three bands of decoration: cable, palmette, zigzag, similar to Blackawton and Buckfastleigh." The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SX6961760254] notes: "Parish church. Circa C12 west tower, formerly at the crossing of the originally cruciform church. The west end was demolished circa early C14 when the present nave was rebuilt with two transepts. North and south aisles of early C15, probably 1436 when three altars were dedicated, restored late C19 [...] Late C12 red sandstone font with round bowl with cable moulding around top, wide frieze of palmettes and ziggag below."