Crowle nr. Worcester No. 1 / Crauley / Crobled / Croelai / Croh Lea / Crohlea / Croley / Croll / Crolle / Croulega / Croull / Crowel / Crowley

There are two entries for this Crowle [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO9255/crowle/] [accessed 23 September 2014], neither of which reports a cleric or church in it. A font in this church is recorded in Dineley (aka Dingley, 1868). Miller (1890) mentions "a lectern curiously made of Purbeck marble" in this church, but not a font. Listed in Andrews (1912) as an interesting baptismal font. The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 3, 1913) notes: "The church of Crowle was evidently originally appurtenant to the manor known as Crowle Siward, for the advowson was granted to the hospital of St. Wulfstan in Worcester by Stephen Devreux, a grant confirmed in 1232 by the king [...] The 15th-century font has an octagonal bowl supported by a stem of the same form. The sides of both have traceried panelling, the cardinal faces of the stem being the most elaborated." Drawing of this font by William Albert Green dated 1948. Described in Pevsner (1968): "Font. Octagonal, Perp[endicular], with traceried panels on the stem, fleurons on the underside, and on the bowl cusped panels." Ditto in Brooks & Pevsner (2007). Englis Heritage [Listing NGR: SO9217555889] (1986) reports a "C15 octagonal font with finely detailed traceried panelling" in this church. The font consists of an octagonal basin of vertical sides decorated with large tracery motifs in X shape; around the upper rim was a band of little floral motifs, now mostly obliterated; the chamfered underbowl is decorated with a large flower on each panel, alternating four-petal flowers with rounded rosettes; the stem of the base has vertical sides and is decorated with Ogee arches and windows; the lower base splays out and is octagonal with a variety of motifs that are now, like those on the upper rim of the basin, mostly defaced or disappeared. The wooden cover is crude, and octagonal platform with four (?) ribs around a cenral pivot. It is raised on an octagonal plinth. [cf. Index entry for Crowle No. 2 for a holy-water stoup also listed for this locality]