Sutton Benger

The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine (vol. XIX (1881): 144) reports on an excursion by members of the British Archaeological Association, on the occasion of their congress meeting at Devizes; the group of archaeologits visited this church on 17 August 1881and noted "the Norman font" therein. Described and illustrated in Buck (1951, who informs: "This font has been drastically restored". Noted in Pevsner & Cherry (1975): "Font. Circular, Norman, the lower part scalloped." The Victoria County History (Wiltshire, vol. 14, 1991) notes: "A church which stood in Sutton Benger in the 12th century belonged to Malmesbury abbey [...] Some masonry in the nave may survive from the 12th century. [...] Registrations of baptisms are complete from 1653"; there is no mention of a font in the VCH entry for this parish. The baptismal font, which may be monolithic, consists of a round basin that widens towards the middle and then tapers off at the underbowl; at the widest part there is a band of linked scallop motif, the scallops projecting downwards and forming a ribbed pattern all around; the stem is a plain cylindrical volume between mouldings at top and bottom; the lower base is round and moulded; the plinth is octagonal and very narrow, but has a kneeling stone projection. The wooden font cover is falt and round, with metal reinforcements and ring handle; it appears Victorian but could be older. The whole font is covered in a thick whitewash.