Northwood / Northewode

No individual entry found for Northwood in the Domesday survey. The Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 5, 1912) notes: "The church of St. John the Baptist lies to the east of the road from Newport to Cowes. It was built as a chapel for the northern portion of the parish of Carisbrooke in the middle of the 12th century"; there is no mention of a font in the VCH entry. The village web site [http://www.northwoodvillage.org.uk/church/churchimages/default.aspx] [accessed 11 May 2009] notes and illustrates the old font: "This is all that remains of the original 12th century font which can be found in the south porch at the entrance to the church. It had been dumped in the churchyard for many years but was rescued from that undignified position in 1954, and placed once again within its rightful home." What remains of the old font is the lower part of the round basin and the circular pedestal, all badly eroded. The present-day font in use consists of a plain square basin raised on an octagonal splaying stem and a quadrangular plinth, all modern.