Beechingstoke / Stoke

The Victoria County History (Wiltshire, vol. 7, 1953) notes: "Norman moulding discovered built into the walls in 1861 suggests an early origin for a church at Beechingstoke. [...] Its existence, however, is first recorded in 1291. [...] Of the medieval church only the 14th century chancel arch and part of the surrounding wall survive. There is no mention of a font in the VCH entry. The present baptismal font appears to be modern, of the Victorian period, and consists of an octagonal basin decorated with varied tracery patterns on the sides, raised on a central octagonal shaft also decorated with tracery, and eight outer marble colonnettes of the type so common on Victorian font designs; octagonal lower base. Wooden cover, octagonal and flat. [NB: we have no information on the medieval font here].