Wallington nr. Rushden / Wadelington / Wadlington / Wallingtone / Waudlington

There are five entries for this Wallington [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/TL2933/wallington/] [accessed 25 October 2016], none of which mentions cleric or church in it. The Victoria County History (Hertford, vol. 3, 1912) notes: "The church was given to the monks of St. Albans with the manor of Monks by William de Wallington. [...] In 1218 Honorius III confirmed the assignment of Wallington and Bygrave Churches to the use of the kitchen of the monastery. [...] The general walling of the nave and chancel may be of the 14th century, but the absence of such early detail makes the date uncertain. The west tower belongs to the beginning of the 15th century, and the north chapel and north nave aisle were probably added shortly afterwards, and at the same time new windows were inserted throughout; the south porch is of late 15th-century date. In 1864 the chancel was almost entirely rebuilt and a new chancel arch inserted. [...] In the churchyard are remains of the old font, which is much broken. The octagonal bowl is of the late 12th century, and has shallow arched sinkings on the sides; the clunch base is of the 15th century and is moulded with cusped panels. [...] The outer doorway of the south porch is of two moulded orders, the inner order forming the arch and resting on shafted jambs with moulded capitals and bases, the outer order being carried over square; the arch spandrels are pierced. On either side of the porch is a three-light window, most of the stone-work being modern. In the north-east corner are the remains of a stoup." Listed in Leach (1975) as a font made of Purbeck marble; "the bowl was found in the old Rectory garden; the support is not original". Pevsner & Cherry (1977) write: "Font. Octagonal bowl of Purbeck marble with two shallow pointed arches in each panel."