spot the joins - High Bickington Devon
The Norman 12c font has a cushion bowl with 4 semicircular faces meeting at the corners, square at the rim. Each face is covered with ornament. Lined in lead & topped with a 20c wooden cover
North. Two Maltese crosses, the ends of the arms rounded, so as to produce a circular effect. Both are damaged and repaired; the fragmentary one on the right shows that each arm had a triangular hollow, following the outline, which remains as a square-edged, ridge. As background to the crosses, there are chevrons, incised diagonal lines, and raised bands with deep hollows between, all arranged in an arbitrary way, without any attempt at pattern.
West. Similar in design, but the crosses are only roughed out ; their shape is the same as on the north face, but there is no ornamentation of hollows. The chevrons and lines are less determinate, and the whole face appears to be somewhat unfinished.
South. Instead of crosses there are two wheels of 8 spokes, each enclosed in a circle of pearls, with chevrons in the interspaces. At the top edge is a band of raised zigzag and crosses,
The eastern face has had to be much restored. There are two large four-leaved flowers about ten inches in diameter; the leaves project beyond a circle of pellets. Chevron in the interspaces, and a band at the edge of scallop and pellets.
About three inches of the shaft is cut in the same block as the bowl, it is, rather larger than the rest of the shaft, so that the appearance of a necking is produced. At the foot of the shaft is a cable, five inches deep. The material of the font is a cream-coloured stone of a crumbling nature.
Arthur Mee says for years the font was covered in layers of paint until it was repaired and restored in 1902. After iron clamps weighing 16.5 pounds were removed, it fell into 45 pieces partly as the clamps had disintegrated the stone.
- Church of Saint Mary, High Bickington Devon
left; Picture with thanks - copyright Ian www.cornishchurches.com/High%20Bickington%20Church%20Devo...
Right; Christ Brown CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5923111
spot the joins - High Bickington Devon
The Norman 12c font has a cushion bowl with 4 semicircular faces meeting at the corners, square at the rim. Each face is covered with ornament. Lined in lead & topped with a 20c wooden cover
North. Two Maltese crosses, the ends of the arms rounded, so as to produce a circular effect. Both are damaged and repaired; the fragmentary one on the right shows that each arm had a triangular hollow, following the outline, which remains as a square-edged, ridge. As background to the crosses, there are chevrons, incised diagonal lines, and raised bands with deep hollows between, all arranged in an arbitrary way, without any attempt at pattern.
West. Similar in design, but the crosses are only roughed out ; their shape is the same as on the north face, but there is no ornamentation of hollows. The chevrons and lines are less determinate, and the whole face appears to be somewhat unfinished.
South. Instead of crosses there are two wheels of 8 spokes, each enclosed in a circle of pearls, with chevrons in the interspaces. At the top edge is a band of raised zigzag and crosses,
The eastern face has had to be much restored. There are two large four-leaved flowers about ten inches in diameter; the leaves project beyond a circle of pellets. Chevron in the interspaces, and a band at the edge of scallop and pellets.
About three inches of the shaft is cut in the same block as the bowl, it is, rather larger than the rest of the shaft, so that the appearance of a necking is produced. At the foot of the shaft is a cable, five inches deep. The material of the font is a cream-coloured stone of a crumbling nature.
Arthur Mee says for years the font was covered in layers of paint until it was repaired and restored in 1902. After iron clamps weighing 16.5 pounds were removed, it fell into 45 pieces partly as the clamps had disintegrated the stone.
- Church of Saint Mary, High Bickington Devon
left; Picture with thanks - copyright Ian www.cornishchurches.com/High%20Bickington%20Church%20Devo...
Right; Christ Brown CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5923111