Betws-y-Coed

Noted as a baptismal font of the 13th century in the Civic Trust Wales web site [www.civictrustwales.org] [accessed 14 November 2008]. The font in the old church of St. Michael consists of the original quadrangular basin raised on a new stem and lower base; the sides of the basin are decorated with a semi-circle incised with parallel lines, with zigzag motif between the lines, and with pairs of crossing leaves within the semi-circle; the underbowl chamfer has a blind arcade of round arch heads [NB: the underbowl is suspect; it has probably been re-cut]. Good woooden cover in the shape of a low square pyramid with raised arrises and a Latin cross finial [NB: the new church (St. Mary's has its own font, a modern one made of local reddish (basin & lower base) and green (support columns) serpentine stone]