Arborfield / Edburgefeld / Erbelgiresfeld / Erburgefeld / Hereburgefeld

No entry for Arborfield found in the Domesday survey. The Victoria County History (Berkshire, vol. 3, 1923) notes: "The church of Arborfield was originally a chapel of Sonning [...] about 1190 [...] The church of St. Bartholomew is a small building erected in 1863, [...] The old church, also dedicated in honour of St. Bartholomew, stood on the west of the present one near Arborfield Hall. Owing to its bad state of repair the roof was taken off in 1863, and the bare ruined walls alone remain. [...] The old font, which is of wood, is preserved at the hall." "Lovely old wooden font [...] from an older St. Bartholomew's Church" [source: http://genealogy.rootsweb,com/~villages/berks/arborfirld.htm]. "Near to the site of Arborfield House, once the seat of the Standen family, stands the ruins of a 13th century church, which used to contain a rare type of font carved from a solid block of wood with an oak cover. This font, together with a stained glass window, has been removed to the present parish church" [source: www.chardnet.free-online.co.uk/berkshireattractions.html] [accessed 26 June 2007]. The wooden font is reported in a visitation by Archdeacon Randall on Monday, 8 October 1855: "The church in a very bad condition. The roof apparently in a state of decay. Directed it to be examined by opening it in several places. The font, a wooden one, but lined with lead and a pewter basin within. Directed the basin to be disused and a drain made." [source: www.arborfieldhistory.org.uk/church_old.htm [accessed 25 November 2011]]. This same wooden font is reported undergoing repairs again in 1948: "The Wooden Font from the Old Church was being repaired for new use", and, a year later. In 1949, "In the new church, the old Stone Font was to be left in place even though the Wooden Font would be used instead." [source: Minute Book of Arborfield Parochial Church Council covering the period from 1935 to 1954 [www.arborfieldhistory.org.uk/church_new_PCC_1935.htm] [accessed 25 November 2011]].