Highampton / High Hampton

Baptismal font noted in Stabb (1908) as one of the few objects of interest in this church: "there is little that is old except the font [...] which is circular in shape with a band of carving around the top, it has cable moulding and rests on a modern shaft and base." Described and illustrated in Clarke (1918): "A fine old circular bowl on a modern shaft and plinth. At the rim is a roll moulding , below it another moulding of irregular profile, sometimes square, sometimes a flattened round. Below this is a band 5 inches wide of varied Norman ornament; each device is arranged in a square; there are fourteen of them, and all different. On the western side is the pentagon, an unusual feature in Norman work. Some of the panels are filled with one large star or flower, some have several small ones symmetrically arranged. Throughout all the band there is very clever use of the Norman lozenge and nail-head, which take a wonderful variety of forms. A piece of new stone, 8 x 9 inches, has been inserted on the western side; the ornament is well copied. There is another moulding below the carved band; the rest of the bowl is plain. Below the bowl are three mouldings; the lowest diamond, the middle one cable, the uppermost plain with broad chamfer. Perhaps the two lower ones were originally at the base of the shaft. The present shaft and plinth are modern; the plinth is rather too overpowring for the bowl. It has horizontal flutings and mouldings, and spurs that are too large and assertive." Described in Pevsner (1952): "Font. Norman, of the Cornish Fowey type with a small bowl adorned at the top by a broad band of simple motifs such as crosses, saltire, starts [sic], etc." [We are grateful to Dr. Roger Peters, of www.wissensdrang.com, for his permission to use the transcription of and images from Stabb (1908)]