Hilborough / Hilburgh / Hildeburghworth / Hildeburhwella

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "The church, is a small but regular building, dedicated to all the Saints, having its nave, north and south isles, and chancel built of flint, &c. and covered with lead: the nave is in length about 42 feet, and the breadth with the isles 41 feet; the roof of the nave is supported by pillars forming 6 arches, 3 on a side, with windows over each arch. [...] At the east end of the south isle, which is longer than the nave by 9 feet, is an ascent, where was an altar [...] This porch is a neat one of flint, covered with lead; about the water table is the letter M and swords with their points erected and crowns over them, as in Cressingham-Magna, this isle being probably dedicated to St. Michael. [...] The chancel is divided from the nave by an old screen; it is in length about 30 feet, and in breadth about 18, and there is an ascent of two steps to the communion table. [...] at the west end of the nave stands a neat strong four-square tower of flint, with quoins of free stone and embattlements, and four carved pinnacles, in which hang five modern bells." Blomefield (ibid.) names "Thomas de Kaylli" as first recorded rector, but without a date, the next one being "Michael de Cayly", in 1315. Although the church is not mentioned in the Domesday entry for 'Hildeburhwella' (fol. 96), this author notes: "Soon after the survey [i.e., Domesday, 1086] the Kaillys or Caleys [...] held this lordship of the Earl Warren", and, as indicated above, two of the family held the rectory by presentation of the lord of the manor, also of the family, so the church is likely to have been founded not long after. Tyrrell-Green (1928) notes a group of fonts in which "the geometrical or curved tracery occurs, not exactly in the same form as in the windows of the style, but adapted so as to fill square panels upon the sides of an octagonal font. The fashion is most common in Norfolk, in which county there are proportionately a greater number of fonts of this period than elsewhere. Excellent examples occur at Bintry [...], Deopham, Hilborough, Oxborough, Rockland All Saints', Sheringham, and Thompson--all in Norfolk. Other good specimens of the same kind of treatment are at Barton Mills (Suffolk), Kingsworthy (Hants), and Strubby (Lincs)." Noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "Early C14, with [g]eometrical tracery to its eight facets." Illustrated in Knott (2008). The font has a flat underbowl with a moulding below; the short stem and the lower base are both octagonal and plain, giving the font a squat look; either this support is not original or there is a part of it missing. The wood and metal cover is flat, with a hollow centre: octagonal on the outside and round on the inside; modern.