Purley / Porlaa / Porlei / Purlai / Purle / Purlew / Purley-on-Thames

There are two entries for Purley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU6576/purley/] [accessed 29 April 2015], but no mention of cleric or church in them. The font here is noted in Moule (1837): "a curious Norman font". In Parker (1855): "a very good and rich N[orman] font with intersecting arcade". Described in Tyrrell-Green (1928) as one in a group of Norman fonts the basins of which are decorated with an arcade of intersecting arches [T-G's list includes: Purley (Berks.), Llanfihangel Abercywyn (Carmarthen), Tidmarsh (Berks.), East Horndon (Essex), Sandridge (Herts), St. Ives (Hunts.), Oakham (Rutland), Great Durnford (Wilts.)] T-G (ibid.) mentions also zigzag on this font. The Victoria County History (berkshire, vol. 3, 1923) notes: "The church was entirely rebuilt in the year 1870 with the exception of the tower [...] The early 12th-century chancel arch of the former building has been reset in the north wall of the chancel, [...] The stone font is of early 12th-century date and is tub-shaped with a moulded base. Surrounding the bowl is a highly enriched arcade of semicircular interlacing arches with a narrow band of cheveron ornament above. In the centre of the east side two wider bays are formed in the arcading by the omission of the alternate pilasters with their arches. In one of the panels thus formed is a head, probably intended for the head of our Lord; the other panel is filled with interlaced work." Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2015): "oolitic limestone font of the 12th century" which used to be located "just inside the S doorway" but is now under the western tower [NB: the CRSBI entry goes into great detail in the description of the variations found in the types of columns, capitals, bases of the arcade, etc.]. It also notes the "small repairs on the rim to E and W [...] where locks were removed".