Bepton / Babintone

The Domesday Book [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SU8518/bepton/] [accessed 1 August 2012] reports a church in Babintone [Bepton]. The font is noted in Walker (1908). Harrison (1920) reports it as massive Norman and restored. The Victoria County History (Sussex, vol. 4, 1953) notes: "Of the building mentioned in Domesday Book [...] nothing now remains; it seems that in the 13th century a completely new church of chancel, nave, and tower was built [...] The font and fittings are modern" [cf. infra]. Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2008): "A plain lead-lined tub (cylindrical) font with an integral cylindrical stem and plinth, raised on a square plinth of later date. There are broad chamfers at the base of the bowl and top of the plinth; the rim is slightly chamfered. The surface bears vertical chisel marks. A repair on the E side of the rim indicates the removal of a lock." The CRSBI entry (ibid.) further notes: "According to the VCH, the font is modern: this seems unlikely". The RootsWeb site [www.freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com] notes: "Within the church is an ancient font which a mason was allowed at the last restoration to re-tool and make to look as new as possible". The present shape includes a short stem and a circular lower base but those are probably the work of the restorer who did the re-tooling of the whole font as well; the font was probably a plain round tub originally. It is now mounted on a modern quadrangular plinth.