Ancient Font
Many old fonts were destroyed or removed by the Puritans
but they were ordered to be replaced in 1660.
Consequently Holy Sepulchre's ancient font must date
from 1660 at the latest - but it could be much older.
Originally the font would have stood in the traditional place for a font - immediately inside the church on the north side of the main entrance door.
In the case of Holy Sepulchre that position would have been just inside
the Round, next to where the bells are now rung from - below the tower :
Extracted from The Revd Robert Serjeantson's 1897
A history of the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Northampton
The font was originally made up in two parts - a circular stone basin
and a carved shaft or pedestal :
The basin now stands on the sill of one of the North Aisle windows.
It was recovered from its burial place underneath the present font when the latter was moved from the middle of the Round to its current position between two of the Round's columns.
The shaft had spent many years outside in the churchyard and the top half is in need of some restoration but it is now safe, standing on the floor of the Round to the south of the steps up into the North Aisle and underneath the Parish's
Book of Remembrance,
dedicated to those who died in the
Two World Wars.
Fortunately The Revd Serjeantson's
book contains this drawing of the original shaft which could be used as a pattern to aid the restoration of the
weather-worn shaft.
Contact
Office: Church Lane
Northampton, NN1 3NL
Tel: 01604 627988
Vicar: 01604 230316
Restoration Trust:
Tel: 01604 754782