Lyneham

The Victoria County History (Wiltshire, vol. 9, 1970) notes: "The church of St. Michael, dating largely from the later 14th and 15th centuries, consists of chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch, and embattled west tower." There is, however no mention of a font in that church. Described and illustrated in the Parish web site [http://www.lynehamvillage.com/community/church/stmichaelfont.html} [accessed 26 September 2009]. The font consists of an octagobal basin with vertical sides decorated with pairs of trefoiled arches or windows between mouldings at top and bottom; the stem and lower base are also octagonal and moulded; raised on a modern plinth. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat, with metal decoration and ring handle. The font and the cover are brightly painted, a recent painting, according to the Parish source above, which also points out that there are traces of old paint and gilding on it. This same source points out that the font was placed in its present position "in recent times, probably in 1863", which would probably date the modern plinth and the painted wooden cover.