Stretton-on-Dunsmore / Stratone / Stretton-upon-Dunsmore and Princethorpe / Stretton-upon-Dunsmore

There is an entry for Stretton[-n-Dunsmore] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SP4072/stretton-on-dunsmore/] [accessed 11 February 2015], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. The Victoria County History (vol. 6, 1951) notes: "Stretton-upon-Dunsmore and Princethorpe [...], which are united for ecclesiastical purposes, [...] were hamlets of Wolston till 1696 [...] There is no mention of a chapel in the Taxatio, but in 1345 Thomas de Wolvardyngton, parson of Lubenham (Leics.), was licensed to alienate 3 messuages, 3 virgates of land, 4 acres of meadow, and 3 of wood, with 20s. rent, in Stretton and Princethorpe, to provide two chaplains to celebrate at the altar of St. Thomas the Martyr in the chapel of All Saints at Stretton [...] The existing church of All SAINTS [...] was completed in 1837 from designs by Rickman, and except for the addition of a choir vestry and a new east window inserted in 1936 as a memorial, it is unaltered. [...] The font, placed under the gallery on the south side of the entrance, is octagonal, with panelled sides, small buttresses at the angles, moulded capping and a circular basin of white enamel." English Heritage [Listing NGR: SP4069172522] (1960) reports: "Octagonal stone font below gallery has cinqfoiled ogee niches, shafts and buttresses." The present font is modern and appears to fit most of the descriptions in the VCH and EH above, but is actually hexagonal [NB: emaild churchwarden asking for confirmation 11 February 2015], of the one-volume type, with deep niches inside the cinquefoiled arch-heads. Wooden cover also hexagonal, low pyramidal with moulded sides and carved top; also modern. The Draycotte Benefice web site [www.draycotegroup.org.uk/stretton.html] [accessed 11 February 2015] notes: "Just before the demolition of the old church, a visiting local historian noted that the building was of Norman origin. The picture of the old church appears to support this. The nave windows appear to be late Norman/early English as does the small bell tower, although this had had a short spire erected on to it later. The building shows further alteration/extension with an aisle being added at a later date in the decorated style." [NB: we have no information on the font from the medieval church here].