Baptism Font - All Saints - Sapcote, Leicestershire - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

A Norman font, 11th century, with a moulded round base, stem and bowl with lobed leaf ornament.

"The circular bowl is Norman (11th century) and has a diameter of 2 feet 7 inches. The exterior is decorated with repeated patterns described by Pevsner in his Buildings of England series (Leicestershire and Rutland), as "coarse, many-lobed upright leaves and other plant shapes of uncommon design".

The font has had a chequered history. Nichols noted, that in 1794, the curious old font was removed. ‘It now stands in the church-yard, under one of the spouts, for the purpose of catching the rain-water; and a modern one, of Mansfield stone, was put up in its stead.’
It is the new font which is illustrated in Nichols' "History of Leicestershire" under Sparkenhoe Hundred, published in 1810. The old font was removed to the Rectory garden and from there to the church tower. In 1842 it was sent to London to be restored. On its return it was set on a pedestal in the church in the main aisle opposite the south door, where it remained until it was transferred to its present position near the north door in 1886. There is a reference to the font in 1882 in the Supplement to the Leicester Mercury of Saturday, July 22nd.
“With regard to the Norman font, it is noted that a charwoman rubbeth the poor font sedulously with hearthstone”."

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