Himbleton / Hemelton / Himeltun / Himeltvn / Humeton / Humilton / Hymeltun / Hymeton

There is an entry for Himbleton [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO9458/himbleton/] [accessed 25 September 2014], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. Miller (1890) reports: "The basement of the font is Norman." The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 3, 1913) notes: "The 12th-century church consisted of a nave, with a narrower chancel to the east of it, but of this building only the south doorway and part of the south nave wall remain. About 1240 the chancel appears to have been entirely rebuilt of the same width as the nave. The next addition was about 1370 [...] he west and south-west walls of the nave were rebuilt, probably when the wood turret was first erected in the 15th century. The aisle was an addition of the 16th century, and many of the windows were altered at the same or a later period. The chief restoration during the past century was undertaken in 1893; the vestry is quite a modern addition. [...] The font is square in plan, the sides of the bowl being chamfered below and having a Paschal Lamb carved on the east face. The stem is moulded at the top and the base is modern. The original portion may be as early as the 12th century. An 18th-century marble font on a carved baluster stem now stands in the vestry. This was made for Hanbury Church, and afterwards went to the new church at Finstall, in each case making way for a modern Gothic font." The font here is noted in Pevsner (1968): "Font. C12. Of table-top type. The only decoration is one small medallion with the lamb and the cross". [NB: Pevsner (ibid.) further notes: "An C18 font is now in the Shell Chapel; so the Rev. R. Stockley tells me"]. Brooks & Pevsner (2007) add that the Agnus Dei symbol may be of a later date than the font itself; they also note a "flat C17 cover". The font consists of a square basiin with a chamfered underbowl, all plain except as indicated in Pevsner; it is raised on a multi-block square pedestal base, a square lower base and a round plinth. The wooden cover is square and flat, with a moulded rim and a decorated centre. The font is in a somewhat battered state and shows damages and repair inserts at varios places, chiefly, as should be expected, on the upper rim of the basin. The workmanship is rather crude. [NB: Brooks & Pevsner (2007) note also: "An C18 baluster font is now in pieces in the S[outh] transept"].