Matlock / Old Matlock

Bagshaw (1846) reports: "an ancient carved font was taken out of the church some years ago, and is now in the rector's garden". Cox (1875-1877) writes: "the relic of greatest interes in the Rectory grounds is the fine old font. The Rector had the good fortune to discover it some time ago, buried, in an inverted position, in a heap of stones and other rubbish. It is of large size and octagon shape, having a scalloped border, carved round the margin; but tapers down towards the base. The font, when discovered, fitted over an octagon stone that had a hole bored through the centre, and upon which it now stands; but we do not think that this stone was the original base, as it seems to be of a different date and design to the font itself, which we believe to be of the Early English period. There are some curious carvings on this base stone, but much defaced, one of which may possibly be intended for a priest in his robes, with chalice in one hand, and paten in the other. A post-Reformation marble basin was displaced at the recent rebuilding for a handsome font, given by Mr. Arkwright; but we cannot but regret that the ancient relic now in the Rectory garden was not restored to its original position." Presumably this is the same font that Pevsner (1978) found inside the church: "Norman, very big, ribbed at the angles and with little crescents along the upper border." The Matlock parish web site describes "a Norman font, which was hidden in the Rectory gardens for many years" [www.andrewspages.dial.pipex.com/matlock/churches.htm] [accessed 30 June 2008]. [NB: there is a modern font in the 19th-century church of the Holy Trinity, in Matlock Bath; not listed separately here on account of its late date]