Ugborough

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". Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 reports "a Norman font" in this church. Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as having a baptismal font of the Norman period. Stabb (1908) expresses his inability to understand the "wanton damage" done to this font. 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]. Clarke (ibid.) writes that "This font must originally have been one of the finest in its class, but it has been sadly mutilated. Only about 25 inches remain of the rich honeysuckle ornament and a corresponding length of saw-tooth which originally encircled the whole bowl. All the rest was planed away; the small section that is left was only saved because it happened to have been built into a pillar, and could not be reached by the devastator. In witness whereof the mark on the pillar is still shown. As if this were not enough the rim was cut down to the extent of at least 4 inches; there are slight traces of a cable twist for a few inches, and probably there was a round moulding above the cable." Kelly's Directory of 1923 [cited in http://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Ugborough/UgboroughsentryinKellysDirectoryof1923.htm [accessed 18 March 2009]] reports a Norman font in this church. Noted in Pevsner (1952): "Circular, plain, Norman, of red sandstone."