Chew Magna / Bishop's Chew

Described in Rutter (1829): "The font is old and capacious, but modernised". Noted in Kelly's Directory of 1883: "Curious old Norman font". Wade & Wade (1929) report a Norman font in this church. Described in Pevsner (1958): "Circular, Norman, the bowl concave and fluted, the base convex." Noted in 'The Church of St. Andrew, Chew Magna', a brief history of this church by Ian L. Durham [http://www.standrewschewmagna.org.uk/History1.htm] accessed 3 February 2008]: "The bowl-shaped font on its short round pillar is Norman and still contains the original lining of lead, no doubt from the mines on Mendip" [NB: the claim in this source is that the fabric of the church dates to about 1190]. The baptismal font consists of a roughly hemispherical decorated with broad slightly concave ribs all around [they appear to be the product of re-tooling, especially since the upper rim seems to show signs of older age, damage related to old cover staples, etc.]; it is raised on a plain cylindrical pedestal base and a moulded and patterned lower base. The cover, flat and round, appears modern.