Winsley

Lewis (1876) mentions a font that was "in the grounds of Winsley House" [the local manor house], where it had been taken by Mr. William Stone, the manor house owner; apparently Mr. Stone had wanted to have the font "as some members of his family had been baptised in it" [NB: that font must have been disused at the time when it was moved into the manor gounds]. Apparently this font was taken ca. 1841 to the manor but was later restored to the church, as Lewis (ibid.) notes the font in use: "The font is a very handsome Decorated one. There was until recently a modern font similar to that at Limpley Stoke, but the original one was found in one of the houses in the parish and restored to its proper place by the present Vicar." Noted in Pevsner & Cherry (1975): "Font. Perp[endicular], with shields in foiled fields." Noted and illustrated in the Wiltshire Community History [http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getchurch.php?id=822] [accessed 8 March 2008]: "Late in the 19th century the 15th century font, removed in 1841, was found in a garden and replaced in the church." [NB: this font would correspond to the 15th-century building that replaced the old Norman church -- we have no information on the Norman font]. The 15th-century font consists of an octagonal basin yhe sides of which are decorated with quatrefoil and hexafoil panels, at least one of which [hexafoil] inscribes a blank shield; the upper end of the chamfered underbowl has a roll moulding all around, but the chamfer itself is plain; the stem has panels decorated with a variety of motifs (hexafoil, quatrefoil, etc.), and the lower base is moulded. The font stands now on a round plinth with kneeling stone, probably of the 19th century. The octagonal wooden font cover has a ball finial/handle and is probably of the 19th century as well. [NB: there is noticeable damage to some of the sides of the basin].