Bickleigh nr. Roborough No. 1

Described in Spreat (1842): "A relic is preserved of a norman font which was discovered in pulling down a wall of the building; it is very much decayed, but sufficient remains to show that it was circular with a zig zag carving around it." Described and illustrated in Clarke (1913): "An ancient tub-font stands near the one now in use at the west end of the south side. It is noteworthy because, although it is hewn from a single block of polyphant, the upper portion, forming the bowl, projects appreciably beyond the lower part, which thus presents somewhat the appearance of a shaft, and forms a valuable link in the chain of evolution. The bowl has a band 6 1/2 inches deep of incised zigzag, and above is a rather indeterminate moulding. There are two deep grooves in the rim, probably cut to receive a rod affixed to the under side of the font-cover. The edge of the rim is broken in several other places." The Bickleigh local authority site [www.bickleigh.gov.uk/about.htm] informs that this font was "unearthed in 1909" and is now displayed in the church next to the 16th-century font [cf. Index entry for Bickleigh No. 2 for the latter]