Collingbourne Ducis / Collingbourne Dukes

Listed in Buck (1951) as one of "several fonts dating from the latter half of the 12th century which, whilst retaining some Norman characteristics such as the chamfered edge, are devoid of all the other usual Norman ornaments, thus showing the tendency towards the Early English style during the period generally known as Transitional Norman", in which group Buck includes: Alvediston, Berwick St. James, Broughton Gifford, Collingbourne Ducis, Odstock and Westwood. There is no font noted in Pevsner & Cherry (1975). The Victoria County History (Wiltshire, vol. 11, 1980) notes: "By 1086 the tithes of Collingbourne Ducis had been granted to Gerald of Wilton, a priest, and the church, presumably as a consequence, was reputed to be impoverished and ruinous. [...] In 1291 the church was valued at £6 13s. 4d. [...] The early dedication of the church was to St. Mary but by 1786 had been changed to St. Andrew." The church underwent many alterations, and two renovations in the the 19th century. There is no mention of a font in the VCH entry for this parish. The present baptismal font in this church consists of a hemispherical basin raised on a round pedestal base moulded at both ends; the font appears modern, perhaps of the 19th-century renovation of this church [unless it is an old one completely re-cut]. The font cover consists of a round wooden platform with metal decoration and ring handle.