Otley nr. Ipswich No. 1

Knott (2008) writes: "The great treasure of this church is locked away in the vestry - but for your protection, not its own. Shortly after my first visit to this church in the 1990s, I received an e-mail from the then-churchwarden Alan Bates telling me about it, and inviting me to go and take a look. In 1950, when a workman was replacing the floor of the vestry, he had found underneath it a total immersion baptismal font. Since it forms part of the drainage system of the church, it was (and is) full of water [...] It is about six feet long and three feet wide, with an extension on the north side for the Minister to stand in. There are steps down from the west end, which is also where the water flows in, draining from some part of the roof. It goes out through an overflow in the east end, probably into the pond which lies beyond the churchyard boundary. It is probably made of stone, although it appears to be made of concrete. The varying layers of water over the years have created brick-like strata markings on the walls. Although there are several other Anglican churches in England with total immersion fonts, all the others are known to be either 19th century or later. So, who put this one here? The most convincing theory is that it was installed by Anabaptists who had charge of the church during the Commonwealth, between 1645 and 1660 [...] Another theory is that it is later, installed at the request of a rich evangelical patron."