Heckfield / Effelle / Hecfeld / Hechingfeld / Hegfeld / Heggefeld / Heghefeld / Heifeld / Hekfeld / Highfield

There is an entry for Heckfield [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU7260/heckfield/] [accessed 1 August 2018]; it reports a church in it. Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 reports "a handsome font" here. Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the 14th century, the Decorated period, made of Purbeck marble. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 4, 1911) notes: "There was a church in Heckfield at the time of the Domesday Survey [...] Alhough the [present] building is doubtless of some antiquity, it has been so completely modernized that very few of the old details are left to tell the history of the fabric. There seems to have been an aisleless nave and chancel here in the 13th century, or earlier. At the 'restoration' of 1876 (described in the churchwardens' account book, quoted below) a piscina was discovered in the north chapel, and pronounced by Mr. Butterfield, the architect of the rebuilding, to be of the 12th century [...] The Purbeck marble font is of the 15th century; it is octagonal in plan, and has traceried panelled sides to the bowl and stem." Listed in Leach (1975) as a font made of Purbeck marble [polygonal II type]; "there are traceried panels on the faces of both bowl and stem". The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SU7236960652] reports "a fine late C15 font" in it. The Parish web site [www.heckfield.hampshire.org.uk/Parish_Church/parish_church.htm] notes: "The church is entered by the main North Door, close to the Tower [...] Immediately inside the church is the Font, which is dated 1350 and is made of Purbeck marble."