Leake / Lec / Lece / Leche / Lege / Lek

There are two entries [one is multiple-place] for this Leake [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SE4390/leake/] [accessed 3 April 2016], neither of which mentions cleric or church in it. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (York North Riding, vol. 1, 1914) notes: "Early in the 12th century a church stood on this site consisting of the present west tower, a nave and a small chancel"; the only font in this church mentioned in the VCH entry is "a pewter font basin". Morris (1931) notes a "17th-cent. font-cover". So does Pevsner (1985): "An uncommonly substantial piece of the C17, heavily moulded. An acorn on the top." No mention is made of the font, which consists of a round basin with two (?) large roll mouldings as all ornamentation; the circular stem is plain; the lower end of the stem and the lower base are a modern replacement. The font appears old, probably medieval, and has had at least one repair of inserted stone; it has also been drastically re-tooled. The stone looks like a fine sandstone. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SE4331490632] notes: "Church C12, C13, C14 and C15. [...] Font cover, C17, heavily-moulded with acorn finial."

[NB: we have no information on the earlier font of this church which may go as far back as Anglo-Saxon times]