Great Warley / Warley Magna

Noted in Pevsner (1976): "Font with two standing bronze angels [...] by William Reynolds-Stephens." [NB: this is Sir William Reynolds-Stephens, British classicist sculptor (1862-1943)]. The Victoria County History (Essex, vol. 7, 1978) notes: "The old church of St. Mary stood immediately south of Great Warley Hall. [...] At some time before 1730 the tower, which then held five bells, was wrecked by lightning [...] In 1858–60 the church was remodelled, to the designs of S. S. Teulon [...] Most of the church fittings were replaced [...] The church ceased to be used for services other than funerals c. 1892 [...] In 1923 the old church had recently been pulled down; the tower was still standing in 1957, but had fallen by 1975. [...] In 1904 a new church of St. Mary the Virgin formally replaced old St. Mary's as the parish church. [...] It stands west of Great Warley Street about a mile north of the old church." There is no mention of a font in the VCH entry for this parish. In Bettley & Pevsner (2007). The present font is modern; it consists of a black and white marble octagonal central block and two attached columns on which the bronze angels stand. [NB: we have no information on the font(s) from that church]