Font - Church of St Mary the Virgin, Layer Marney, Essex. CO5 9UR. - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

Rebuilding of this chhurch was started in 1515 by Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney, KG (c. 1447 – 4 May 1523) and Lord Privy Seal to Henry VIII, but he died before completion. His son, John, 2nd Lord Marney, continued the building work but died just two years later, leaving no male heirs to continue the family line or the construction. This church is dedicated to St.Mary the Virgin and is Grade I listed. Restorations were carried out in 1870 and 1911.

The church is of a straightforward layout, chancel, nave, and a tower at the western end, with a full-length north chapel/arcade which may be all that remains of the earlier church. The chancel, nave and tower were largely rebuilt in red brick (1515 and on), with diapering (decoration in a diamond-shaped pattern) in flared headers on the tower which has diagonal stone dressed buttresses, embattled parapets and a polygonal tower staircase with small windows on the south face. Of three stages with a moulded string course at each, the tower's third stage holds the two bells and has a three center headed louvred window on each face. The west window at the ground floor has a four-centred head with intersecting tracery and looks onto a large open space with the church font.

Many good internal features include a C15th rood screen with ogee arches; a C14th alabaster tomb with effigy in armour, with bascinet, Sir William Marney c.1360; the tomb to Henry Lord Marney, 1523, with recumbent effigy; the tomb to John, 2nd lord Marney also with recumbent effigy; the north wall of nave has a large painted figure of St Christopher bearing Christ and holding a ragged staff. With its landscape background it is presumed to date from c.1520 and was uncovered during the 1870 restoration.

The font looks to about two hundred years old and is in good condition. Of limestone it is four intersecting cylinders supported on a chamfered square pillar with four pink marble coved pillars in line with the circular sections. The whole is mounted on two octagonal step plinths and the east face has an inscribed St.Cuthbert's cross in a circle. The font cover is a wooden low dome with octagonal edging and an acorn finial.

The co-ordinates are for the church south porch.

Approximate Age of Artefact: Not listed Relevant Website: Not listed

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