West Dean nr. Chichester

The earlier font here is described in Drummond-Roberts (1935) as a baptismal font of the 15th century, consisting of an octagonal basin decorated with a blank shield in a quatrefoil on each side, raised on an octagonal stem decorated with an arcade [NB: Drummond-Roberts must have gathered the information on this font before the fire that destroyed it -- cf. Iinfra]. The Sussex Parish Churches site [www.sussexparishchurches.org/content/view/612/33/] [accessed 12 May 2013] notes: "excavations in 1977 suggested it could have been pre-Conquest C11 with an apse [...] The oldest parts of West Dean church, chiefly the nave, are also C11, including a blocked tall narrow north doorway with a round head and abaci now chiselled flat. [...] the church is in effect a C20 recreation of a C18 remodelling of a C11 to C13 original. [...] The fire destroyed practically all the interior [i.e., fire of 1934 -- cf. ChurchNotes] [...] Font: (Destroyed in 1934) C15 octagonal bowl with a quatrefoil containing a shield on each side and an arcaded stem (Drummond-Roberts p98). [cf. supra] The present one, presu[ma]bly by Etchells, is a plain octagon without a stem." [NB: we have no information on the font of the original church here].