1902 Norman Architecture 305 



tains were venerated ; the early Christians utilised such 

 springs (only in the absence of rivers) for baptism. Later 

 on in the history of the Christian Church, when a special 

 vessel was placed in the church for the rite of baptism it 

 was called a font. The early Norman fonts were circular; 

 the later Norman fonts were square or octagonal, with a 

 deep circular bowl for immersion. Let me here emphasise 

 that in identifying Norman fonts no one ought to omit 

 looking for the diagonal tool- marks. The existence or 

 non-existence of these tool-marks tell us in unmistakable 

 language whether the specimen is Norman or not ; whereas 

 ornaments sometimes mislead us by being added later on. 

 The early Norman font was very plain ; the middle and 

 later Norman font was often enriched with carvings of 

 grotesque character, as in the case of Winchester Cathedral 

 font. When religious symbols came to be used, fonts re- 

 ceived their due share. The symbols for the Holy Trinity, 

 the Holy Ghost, &c., are often met with on fonts; in fact, 

 the circular fonts represent the world, the square fonts 

 the cardinal points of the globe, and the octagonal fonts 

 the Holy Spirit and His sevenfold gifts. The Norman font 

 was made of stone, wood, and even lead. There is a 

 very good example of leaden font at Walton-on-the-Hill, 

 Surrey ; another leaden font ^ of late Norman date is at 

 Brookland, Kent. The Norman circular font rests on one 

 thick stunted column ; but when fonts began to be angular, 

 smaller columns were added under the angular corners 

 round the central column. I have seen four small columns 

 and one central column, but not eight small columns and 

 one central column. 



In conclusion, I will add a few words as to the church 

 towers. The Norman church towers were not always 

 central — e.g., in case of a cruciform church, the tower was 

 at the crossing of the arms ; but in oblong churches the 

 tower was somewhere at the west end.^ The towers of 



^ There are altogether about twenty-five leaden fonts in England, and these are 

 supposed to be of late Norman period. 



- 1 know of only one instance where the church tower (originally detached) 

 is placed on the west diagonally to the nave — viz., Garway (Herefordshire) Church 

 tower. This tower was used as a prison to the border castles of Grosmont, Sken- 

 frith, and Pembridge (Welsh Newton). 



