South Lopham / Lopham Parva

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "what this town's name signifies, I know not, and which is remarkable, it never altered its spelling from the Conqueror's time to this day, for in Domesday [...] we find it the same. In the Confessor's time Lopham was two distinct towns and different manors, Lopham-Magna, now North Lopham, [...] and the other Lopham, called afterwards Lopham Parva, and now South Lopham, belonged to Alsius [...] This Alsius had a manor in Norton, which in the Conqueror's days he joined to this, making it a berewic to it, after which it came into the Conqueror's hands, who gave them to Roger Bygot Earl of Norfolk, who joined the two Lophams [...] from this time Lopham hath continued as one manor to this day, though they are two distinct parishes, each having their separate bounds and officers." Blomefield (ibid.) further gives evidence of the church at South Lopham, which was given by William, son of Roger Bygot [d. 1107] "to the monks of Thetford, [...] in the time of Henry I [...] This was South Lopham church, which by its conventual form, and Gothick tower, was in all likelihood built at this time, and it is probable some of those monks had a cell here, and served it for some time, and this is the reason that this church never had any institution, though the monks quitted all their right in it to the lord, who had a release of it from the abbey, and added it, with the appurtenances, to the rector of the other church, who took the cure upon him from that time; this must be very early, for, before 1340", thereby North Lopham becoming [remaining?] the main church. Blomefield (ibid.) gives a succint description of the church: "South Lopham Church is dedicated to St. Nicholas; being built in the conventual form, the tower is square, being a very large Gothick building; [...] in it are 6 good bells, the chancel, the nave, south isle, and porch are leaded", but mentions no font in it. A font here is reported in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "C14. Octagonal, with very delicately cut, shallow tracery (cf. North Lopham). C17 crown cover." Noted and illustrated in Knott (2005), who comments on the erroneous dedication of this church to St. Andrew in the 18th century, a dedication that has remained. The lower base and plinth of the font are both octagonal and moulded. The wooden cover is of the usual Jacobean design, with eight vertical scroll ribs on a flat octagonal platform.