Blackford nr. Wincanton No. 1 / Blacheford

There are two entries for this Blackford [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/ST6526/blackford/] [accessed 24 April 2018], neither of which mentions cleric or church in it. The Kelly's Directory of 1883 reports: "an ancient font" here. Drawing of a font in the Harvey Pridham Drawings of English Fonts (MS 56). [Folder Number, Item Description]. University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries. Special Collections Dept., done by Harvey Pridham in September 1887 accompanied by the following description: "All circular. Circular bowl, not lead lined, inside bowl following outside curve, flat plan, 11 3/4 deep, 3 3/8 margin: position, under open West Tower arch. Modern cover." [NB: although not identified in the drawing as such, it is probably the earlier font of this church]. Wade & Wade (1929) report a Norman font in this church. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Somerset, vol. 7, 1999) notes: "The south doorway and font indicate that there was a church in the 12th century [...] The nave is of the 12th century with a contemporary doorway whose inner head was modified in the late 15th century when the door was inserted.". The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: ST6579826160] notes: "font a simple C11 bowl". The entry for this church in the CRSBI (2018) notes: "The font is located under the tower arch and is of a greyish white stone. It consists of a tub-shaped bowl with a moulded rim consisting of a lower quirk, then an angular projection and above this a more rounded one. The top surface of the rim has a groove running around it, approximately one third of the width from the outer edge. The bowl is otherwise plain, and stands on a slightly conical stem separated from the bowl by a toroid ring. The stem stands on a chamfered drum base with no plinth. The rim of the bowl is broken at the NW, and has metal fragments embedded at the NE and SW where lock fittings have been removed. There is a large repair to the top at the SE. There is no lead lining. The internal sides of the basin, gouged rather than tooled, drop fairly straight to a fine bottom which has a neat saucer around the drain-hole [...] The list description describes the font as 'a simple C11 bowl', and Pevsner fails to mention it. It is considered here to be 12thc rather than 11thc." The Parish site [http://myspace.surefish.co.uk/~rob.sage1/html/blackford.html] [accessed 2 March 2008] reproduces notes form 'A Guide to the Camelot Parishes', of which Blackford is part: "The Font is Norman and rests on a short pillar."