Henstead

Billett (2006) notes: "A tall wooden cover, ornamented with a spire with the dove of the holy spirit on the top, sits on the modern font." The modern font consists of an octagonal basin the sides of which are decorated with deeply-set quatrefoils between protruding mouldings; graded chamfer; panelled octagonal stem; splaying lower base. Billett (ibid.) notes that the original Norman church suffered a fire in 1641 and that two major renovations took place at later dates, one in Victorian times, the other in 1906. [NB: the English Heritage web site [www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=282054] [accessed 19 September 2011] notes that the church fabric is "Medieval, with C17-C18 alterations; considerably restored 1906."; we have no information on its original font].