Simonburn

These notes on the fonts inside St. Mungo's appeared originally in a now disappeared website [http://www.northtynechurches.info] and are cited in http://www.hallbarns-simonburn.co.uk/simonburn.htm [accessed 4 February 2010]: "At the west end of the church the visitor will be surprised to see two fonts. One is in the baptistery which, as usual, is situated near the porch as a reminder that it is through baptism we enter the church. This font, of white caen stone, was the gift of Miss Ridley and was one of several furnishings given to the church at the time of its last restoration in 1877. Its decorative style is typically Victorian, in contrast to the severely plain Georgian font which it superseded and which now stands near the organ. There must have been earlier fonts, now lost, used down the ages. By tradition, as already mentioned, baptisms were first ministered locally in the Holy Well of St Mungo in the sixth century. This is in the Crook stream which runs at the foot of the steep ravine south of the. church." [NB: we have no information on the earlier font of this church]