Prinknash Abbey nr. Cranham

***NB: WE HAVE NO CERTAINTY THAT THIS FRAGMENT OF FONT CAME FROM EITHER PRINKNASH ABBEY OR THE PARISH CHURCH AT CRANHAM, BOTH OF WHICH DATE ORIGINALLY FROM THE 12TH CENTURY*** A communication to BSi from Pol Herman (e-mail of 4 June 2024) alerted us about a Facebook message https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02B6Y5xz5NsL2pVCTt7Q4fm7rTZiUxWbu3WoW61vrtcae7Dc7QKWb2M2YDM1RKLkAKl&id=101603021558780&sfnsn=mo from James Balme, History Columnist for Cheshire Life Magazine, in which Balme wrote about his acquisition of ancient vessel of stone decorated with heads and looking very much like the basin of an old baptismal font. He had found the object in a salvaged depot, not far from the Prinknash Abbey, near Cranham, in Gloucestershire: "In mid December 2021 I located what seemed to be an ancient font laying on a pallet in the orchard of a salvage yard deep in the heart of Gloucestershire. It had clearly been there for quite some time and was slowly being destroyed by countless bad winters and its survival was now in question. Prior to being sent to salvage the font had been used for many years as an ornamental planter in an old mansion again contributing to its demise. Concerned of the loss and destruction of such an ancient piece of history I was able to agree to privately purchase the font allowing me to save and conserve what remains of this stunning piece of church art and initally dated to the 12th century and possibly Norman." Details of the object, recovery and transportation to his home in Cheshire are given in a YouTube video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xED_W0qISEA] [accessed 12 April 2024] by Balme. Balme gives the measurements of the ofject as 32 inches in diameter and overall depth 14 inches.