Burgh St. Peter / Wheatacre Burgh / Whetacre Burgh

In the Domesday entry for "Wateaker", transcribed and translated in Blomefield (1805-1810), "there were 2 churches endowed with 60 acres", presumably there earlier when this place belonged to "Toret, a thane of King Edward". Blomefield (ibid.) gives information on both churches: "Here were two churches; one dedicated to St. Peter, a rectory valued at 11 marks, the rector had a manse with 3 acres of land [...] This is called Whetacre Burgh [...] The other church is dedicated to All-Saints. John de Bumstede is said to have had an interest in the patronage, but in the beginning of Edward II. the family of Baynard; the rector had then a beautiful manse"; the names of the rectors recorded for both churches are listed until the time Blomefield visited here. [cf. Index entry Wheatacre for the church of All Saints -- old St. Peter's ruins are supposed to be located near the site where St. Mary's stands now]. The present font is described in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "Octagonal, probably late C14, with eight heads against the underside of the bowl and panels with shields and roses against it". Noted and illustrated in Knott (2005): "medieval font with its typically local peasant heads". The heads are at the underbowl angles, and there are floral motifs between them, on the sides; shields and roses inscribed in cusped panels alternate on the basin sides; the base is formed by eight clustered colonnettes with moulded capitals and bases. Polygonal plinth; appears moder. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat with a flat cross on it; also modern.