Houghton-on-the-Hill nr. North Pickenham No. 1 / Houtuna

There is a single entry for this Houghton [Houtuna, folio 169v] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TF8605/houghton-on-the-hill/] [accessed 12 December 2013], but it mentions neither church nor cleric in it. Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "H[oughton] [...] is called Houghton on the Hill, to distinguish it from the other Houghton in this county. [...] The Church is a single building of flint, &c. dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin; in length about 27 feet, and about 18 in breadth, and is covered with reed. At the west end stands a small four-square tower of flint and brick, and on the top is a little cap of wood covered with lead; in this tower hangs one bell: at the east end of this nave is the chancel, separated by a gable or wall, near a yard thick, through which is an arch about 12 feet in height, and 6 in breadth, which leads into the chancel; which seems to be much more antique than the body and tower; it is in length about 26 feet, and of equal breadth with the body." Blomefield (ibid.) names "Robert de Neville" as first recorded rector "in the 34th Henry III", i.e., 1250. According to St Mary's Houghton-on-the-Hill web site [www.saintmaryschurch.org.uk/index.htm], the baptismal font of the (then) abandoned church of St Mary was recently "discovered in a rectory garden, planted up with bulbs". Knott (2004) confirms the discovery and move of the font: "Bob Davey [Pickenham churchwarden] traced the former font to a garden in a nearby village, and brought it back". The recovered font consists of a round of which only the lower part remains, most of the sides broken off, with an octagonal underbowl, raised on an octagonal pedestal base and a narrow octagonal lower base; what remains of this font does not look particularly ancient, not the original font of the 13th-century church here; at best late-Medieval? NB: we have no information on the original font here].