Westleigh / West Leigh

Permission received (email of 9 December 2004)

Results: 1 records

Click to view images

view of font and cover in context

Image Source: www.westleigh-devon.gov.uk

Copyright Instructions: Permission received (email of 9 December 2004)

INFORMATION

Font ID: 10391WES

Object Type: Baptismal Font1

Font Century and Period/Style: 13th century, Early English

Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Peter

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in the W end of the nave, opposite the S entrance

Church Patron Saint(s): St. Peter [may have been dedicated earlier to "St. Medom"?]

Site Location: Devon, South West, England, United Kingdom

Directions to Site: Located off the A39, NNE of Bideford

Font Notes: Click to view

Baptismal font probably of the 13th century in the Early English style, "and described by Ashworth as a 'massive bowl', which holds 9 gallons and is supported by 8 granite shafts." [source: www.westleigh-devon.gov.uk]. The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) mentions an "antique font" in this church. The basin has a general square shape but the sides are actually lobulated: large lobes formimng the corners with a narrower one between them in the middle of the face. Wooden cover, pyramidal square, with crocketed sides and tracery pattern decoration. [We are grateful to the Westleigh Parish Council, and to webmaster Paul Fronteras, of www.designtoweb.com, for the photograph of this font]

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to the Westleigh Parish Council, and to webmaster Paul Fronteras, of www.designtoweb.com, for the photograph of this font.

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone

Number of Pieces: nine?

Font Shape: multi-lobed, square, mounted

Basin Exterior Shape: multi-lobed, square

LID INFORMATION

Date: unknown

Material: wood, oak?

Apparatus: no

REFERENCES

The National Gazetteer: a Topographical Dictionary of the British Isles, London: Virtue & Co., 1868, [unknown / not recorded]