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HER Number:MDV135791
Name:Font in Georgeham Churchyard

Summary

The remains of a font, a broken stone trough with chamfered corners lies to the west of the tower. It was probably discarded during restoration of the church in 1762, when a new font was installed.

Location

Grid Reference:SS 464 398
Map Sheet:SS43NE
Admin AreaDevon
Civil ParishGeorgeham
DistrictNorth Devon
Ecclesiastical ParishGEORGEHAM

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • FONT (XIII - 1201 AD to 1300 AD)

Full description

Barber, J., 1967, 29th report on Archaeology and early history, 321-322 (Article in Serial). SDV280587.

There is a font in the churchyard to the west of the tower. It comprises a stone trough some 25 inches square with the corners chamfered both inside and out. The interior is also square and the whole is about 9 inches deep. On each side there are holes for the staples, one being in place; only a few fonts with a staple in position have been found in Devon. It is dated on style to the 13th century. On removing the grass and earth from inside the font, a hole was found in the centre of the base, and the bottom edges were found to be chamfered, with signs of a central pillar for support.
The font was probably discarded when a new font was installed in 1762. This was described in 1832 as 'a modern hexagonal marble basin'. Although the present font is hexagonal, it is not of marble leading to the question as to whether it dates from the 1876 restoration?

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, 1152 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

Font in georgeham churchyard to the west of the tower Broken in two but with one of its staples still in situ. Probably discarded when a new font was installed in 1762.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV280587Article in Serial: Barber, J.. 1967. 29th report on Archaeology and early history. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 99. A5 Paperback. 321-322. [Mapped feature: #145111 Map object approximate, based on this source, ]
SDV339712Report - Assessment: Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J.. 2007. The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report. Exeter Archaeology Report. 06.22 (rev.1). A4 Stapled + Digital. 1152.

Associated Monuments

MDV573Related to: St. George's Parish Church, Georgeham (Building)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded


Date Last Edited:Aug 29 2025 12:44PM