Fernhurst

Harrison (1920) notes: "The round stone font is Nor[man]". The Victoria County History (Sussex, vol. 4, 1953) notes: "To a chancel and nave of the 12th century were added a rather massive timber bell-cote and a very ample south porch, much like that at Lurgashall, both now destroyed. [...] The present aisle was built in 1859 and the tower and vestry in 1881. [...] The font is a squat cylinder, of perhaps the 12th century, on a modern base. In the tower are the remains of, apparently, two holy water stoups." The font is described in Whiteman (1994): "The large 12th-century cylindrical font has roll moulding and a recessed band halfway down". Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2008): "The irregularly formed, lead-lined bowl has a pitted, heavily chiselled surface and tapers outwards. Its rim and base are ringed by plain torus mouldings, the upper one of which is damaged to the SW, possibly due to the removal of a lock. The stem has a slightly smaller diameter than the bowl, and incorporates a shallow off-set, suggestive of an integral plinth. The upper plinth, which is chamfered at the top, is more regular than the bowl and stem and may post-date the 12thc. Surface irregularities, however, argue against a modern date." The Parish web site [www.st-margarets-fernhurst.net/History.html] [accessed 1 August 2012] notes: "At the west end of the Church the font was moved to its present position near the south door to make room for the new organ, which was dedicated by the Bishop of Chichester in 1970".