Rescued from the Sea of Chaos


This font base was recently rescued from the church of Holy Trinity, Hautbois before the redundant church was handed over to the Guides as an extra building for their Hautbois Activities Centre.


As far as I know it's providence is as follows :
It had been buried and discovered in the 19th C when the nave of , the now ruined, church of St.Mary (a.k.a. St.Theobald) was being cleared. Historic England record the font in these terms:
Early C12 font base, supporting C19 square bawl. Base carved with entwined winged serpents, divided from the foliated base section by double keel moulding.

I imagine "bawl" is a typo. What they do not say, although this is true, is,  "the square bowl it is utterly hideous!" 

To my mind the lower layer of the font base is not so much foliate as waves of the sea, but perhaps I am reading too much into it. In any case, the meaning of the iconography seems to be clear enough, "We are rescued from chaos, through the waters of baptism.

I am not sure if there is anything like it elsewhere in Norfolk. The style of carving is unknown to me but I wondered if it might have come from the same stable as the portal of St.Mary's Church, Wroxham ?


At present the font is lurking in a diocesan store somewhere but they cannot keep it there for much longer. I wonder,  can we find a permanent home where it can be seen and appreciated?

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