Wilmington nr. Eastbourne / Wineltone

Harrington (1920) reports a 14th-century font in the originally-Norman church restored in 1883. The Church of England web site [www.achurchnearyou.com] notes: "The church was founded about A.D. 1000 to serve the Saxon settlement of Wineltone, (Wilmington) as recorded in the Domesday Book. The Benectine Priory immediately to the South of the church, which was at one time connected by a covered cloister walk, was founded about A.D. 1100." The web site of the Arlington, Berwick, Selmeston with Alciston and Wilmington Churches benefice [www.berwickchurch.org.uk/wilmington church history.html] notes: "The font, dating from the 14th century, is square with hollow chamfered corners and is supported on a central shaft and four angle shafts with moulded capitals and bases. Its basin is large enough to allow baptism of an infant by total immersion [...] The cover is a replica of a typical medieval steeple cover." There are actually two wooden font covers, both apparently made of oak: the one noted above is a square pyramid with carved sides and a Greek cross finial; the other cover is flat, square and plain, with the tips of the corners chamfered; it has two metal handles, back and front, the front wider; unknown date. The font itself appears to be much altered, though not in the general design; there is a large insert repair to one of the angles of the underbowl, obviously a reconstruction to match the other original sides; the mouldings which form the capitals for the colonnettes of the base at the angles, are part of the basin block, a common design characteristic since Norman times; the upper bas consists of a broad shaft in the centre and four outer colonnettes; they all appear to be modern replacements; the lower base is square, with mouldings at the angles to form the bases for the outer colonnetes of the base; the narrow plinth is also square; both parts, lower base and plinth, are modern, but probably not too different from the original ones.