Peterborough

There is an entry for the Abbey of St, Peter, Peterborough, in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/name/peterborough-st-peter-abbey-of/] [accessed 25 August 2024]. The Domesday entry for Peterborough itself [https://opendomesday.org/place/TL1998/peterborough/] [accessed 25 August 2024] mentions the "Abbatia St Petri De Burg" but does nor refer to any spacific church or priest in it. The Cathedral information web site [https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/history.aspx] [accessed 15 August 2024] informs of its earliest origins: "Archaeological evidence around and underneath the Cathedral indicates that there was a Roman building on this site. Evidence of a boundary ditch and monumental stonework may indicate a substantial building such as a temple or monumental arch." The same source informas of the 655+ period: "655AD - A monastery is founded on the current Cathedral site, at that time called Medeswell, later Medehamstede (“the home/farmstead in the water meadows”), located on the north bank of the River Nene. The monastery was founded by Peada, son of King Penda of Mercia, and completed by Peada’s brother Wulfhere. At that time Mercia was a pagan Saxon kingdom, but as part of a marriage contract with neighbouring Christian Northumbria, Christian missionaries were allowed to found a religious house here. The original monastery may have been built of timber, but seems to have been later replaced in stone." A charter dated 680 catalogued in the DEEDS Project [eSawyer (S 72) Diplomatics Annotated (brat) Anglo Saxon Charters (S 72)] [accessed 25 August 2024] praises king Aethelred for his and his predecessors' work in the chrsitianising of the kingdom of Mercia, and the building of churches and baptisteries to continue the advances against the old pagan practices, though it does not mention any such building specifically. After many vicissitudes, destruction and re-buildings of the abbey, a church that would eventually become a cathedral is started here in 1118; consecrated 1238. Closed and confiscated by the King in 1539; becomes cathedral 1541. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: TL1941698645] mentions no font in it. A 20 March 2019 photograph by heffelumpen9 in Flickr [https://www.flickr.com/photos/heffelumpen9/46510062655/] [accessed 25 August 2024] is captioned: "Baptismal font, Peterborough Cathedral. The font was created in the 13th century but was removed from the cathedral, perhaps in the 1640s during the English Civil War. In the 1820s it was found being used as a flower pot, and it was returned to the cathedral (new supporting pillars were added at that time). In 2007 the font was moved to its current place in the main aisle of the nave, near the west entrance to the cathedral. An article written at that time states the following: "A thirteenth century font which was once tucked away has been repositioned for the fifth time in the city's cathedral. In the past, on entering Peterborough Cathedral, most visitors failed to notice the font, tucked away – as it was – in the corner. "However, the last piece of the repositioned font was put into place near the West front entrance of the Cathedral on Tuesday [03 April 2007]. "Its new position has also been enhanced by changing the stone on the floor around the base from limestone to a series of Purbeck marbles in a wave-like pattern representing the water of baptism and mirroring the shape of the font itself. "Rev Canon Bruce Ruddock said: 'The font is one of the principal furnishings in any church or cathedral and the previous position of the font in Peterborough Cathedral diminished its importance within the context of the building as a whole.' "'In its new position, the liturgical possibilities for the font are enormous and, upon entering the cathedral, everyone from the casual visitor to the regular worshipper is offered a powerful reminder of the principal elements of the Christian journey.'" Source: website "Peterborough Telegraph" (peterbouroughtoday.co.uk), article "Has font found final resting place?" April 3, 2007". The recent restoration of the medieval font is documented and illusdtrated by Lucie McCrone [https://www.stwhitesstone.co.uk/peterborough-cathedral-font/] [accessed 25 August 2024]