St John the Baptist, Crawley, Sussex
I Location
- Site Location
- Crawley
- National Grid Reference
- TQ 268 365
- County
-
traditional:
Sussex
now: West Sussex - Diocese
-
medieval:
Chichester
now: Chichester - Dedication
-
medieval:
not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St John the Baptist - Type of building/monument
- Parish church
II General Description
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-
Church Plan
The church comprises a W tower, nave, seven-bay N aisle, N porch and chancel. There is a blocked doorway in the S wall of the nave. On the N side of the chancel is the vestry, and on the S are two doorways: one to the (lost) rood screen, the other a priests' doorway with a small porch. All of the fabric is post 12thc. The S doorway seems to be the earliest feature, and may date from the early 13thc.
V Furnishings
1. Fonts
(i)
-
-
Font
-
-
Font
The font is located at the W end of the nave, having recently (2001) been moved from under the W tower. The bowl and plinth of this Sussex marble font were originally square, but the corners have been cut back to create an irregular octagon. The original faces are polished and have a raised moulding at the top and bottom of the bowl. These features have not been replicated on the secondary faces, which display rough tool marks. The interior is circular and lead lined, and a mend on the S side indicates where a lock has been removed. The bowl is supported by a fat central column of Sussex marble, and four slender angle columns of freestone. The latter have moulded capitals and bases, in Early English style, and may be replacements. The Sussex marble plinth is very worn: there is no evidence that the column bases were originally carved into the upper surface, although that may have been the case. It sits on two superimposed circular plinths.
Dimensions
| h. of font, without circular plinths | 0.635 m |
| total h. of font as currently assembled | 0.87 m |
| internal diam | 0.51 m |
| l. of main faces | 0.32 m |
| l. of secondary faces | 0. 19 m |
| l. of sides before corners cut down | 0.59 m |
VII History
VIII Comments/Opinions
The font dates from the end of the 12thc. At some time the corners of the bowl and plinth were cut back to create an octagonal font. The angle columns may be replacements, but look like authentic early 13thc. work.
IX Bibliography
- A. K. Walker, An Introduction to the Study of English fonts with details of those in Sussex. London 1908, 104-05.