Newton Valence / Newenton / Newentone / Niwenton / Nyweton

There is an entry for Newton [Valence] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU7232/newton-valence/] [accessed 19 June 2018]; it mentions a church in it. The Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 3, 1908) reports three baptismal fonts in this church, and notes: "The church existed at the time of the Domesday Survey, and was held by Turstin son of Rolf who held the manor. [...] The [present] church of St. Mary [...] first built c. 1220 [...] The font is modern, but in the churchyard, west of the south doorway, is an ancient circular bowl with lead lining, which may be of the thirteenth century; and outside the blocked west doorway of the tower is a dilapidated panelled shaft and bowl, the latter set upside down on the shaft, belonging to a second superseded font, not older than the end of the eighteenth century. [...] The first book of the parish registers begins in 1538". The ancient font reported by the VCH in the churchyard ca. 1908 was taken into the church and remounted on a modern round-to-square base; the basin is round, with a thick roll moulding at the upper rim; the lower half of the basin is indented as if to mark the underbowl, but is otherwise plain. It has no cover. The present font in use consists of an octagonal basin with quatrefoiled panels, raised on a stone central shaft and eight slender marble colonnettes at the angles, the typical Victorian rendering of a Perpendicular font design; on an octagonal lower base and a rectangular plinth. The wooden cover on the modern font is octagonal and flat, with metal decoration and ring handle.