Llanwenog / Llan Wenog / Llanwennog

St. Gwenog is one of several churches in Wales built near a holy well. The entry for this church in Meyrick (1808) reports: "The font is a large bason, with twelve sides, on each of which is carved a human face. It is supported on a circular pillar, and besides a plinth for its base, stands on three steps." Evans (1914) writes: "According to the present incumbent, the Rev. John Morris, M.A., "the Font stands on a square basement near the window of the south aisle of the church. The Bowl is circular, and is charged with twelve grotesque faces. It is in a fair state of preservation. The carving is very rudely done. It has no cover at present (1900), though there are indications which lead to the conclusion that it formerly had a cover attached to it. The drainage appears to be deficient." Tyrrell-Green (1928) informs that "chapels were sometimes built either directly above holy wells or in such close proximity to them that a simple arrangement could be made for the water from the sacred spring to flow into a reservoir within the chapel. It is probable that these well-chapels were erected in the first instance to serve as baptisteries", which would account for the choice of this church site, as well as those at Llangibby, Mathern, St. Cleer near Liskeard and others. The font itself is described and illustrated in Tyrrell-Green (ibid.) as having a round basin and being ornamented with "a ring of twelve large faces, all alike, which cover the whole surface of the bowl and are indicated only by comparatively shallow lines"; the base consists of a cylindrical pedestal and a square lower base, all mounted on a square plinth, all of them plain. Described and illustrated by Lord, in Diwylliant... (1998-2003), who dates it to the 12th century and suggests that the twelve heads are "presumably intended for the Apostles of Christ and, further, that "it is difficult to refrain from associating the powerful carving of the mask-like faces of the Llanwenog font with pagan Celtic carvings relating to cults of the head". He adds that "the Llanwenog font is far from unique in having distinct Celtic resonances" and mentions the holy-water stoup at Capel Madog [cf. Index entry], in the Elan Valley, as another example. Illustrated in the RCAHMW (2005) [http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/HI/ENG/Heritage+of+Wales/Gallery/] [accessed 13 July 2008]. Noted and illustrated in Thurlby (2006), who notes the number of faces as eleven [cf. supra]. In the context of Lord's suggested relation between the heads on this font and those on the font originally from Lamptere and now at Maestir, Thurlby (ibid.) states: "I do not concur with Lord's attribution of this font to the carver of St Gwenog, Llanwenog [...]. There the bowl is ringed with eleven mask-like heads and the treatment of the facial features has little in common with the head of St Matthew at Maestir." Noted in Jenkins (2008) as 12th-century. The entry for this church in COFLEIN [https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/220/details/st-gwenogs-church-llanwenog] [accessed 18 January 2020] notes: "The church was a parish church during the medieval period [...] The circular limestone font bowl, with moulded faces of the twelve apostles, is twelfth century in date." The entry for this church in British Listed Buildings [https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300009817-st-gwenog-church-llanwenog#.VxN_nXrGA4A] [accessed 18 January 2020] notes: "Medieval church, the only one dedicated to St Gwenog. Late C14 and late C15, the tower added after 1485 [...] Repairs 1985 and 1993 [...] 1889 and 1924 [...] 1914 and 1919. [...] Interior [...] Medieval stoup S, reset 1922. [...] Exceptional C12 or C13 font with 12 crudely carved faces right around broad bowl."