Havering-atte-Bower is now an outlying village in the London borough of Havering, 3 miles N of Romford. The church of St John in the village centre was built by Basil Champneys on the site of the demolished medieval chapel of St Mary. St Mary's was demolished in 1876 and St John's was dedicated 2 years later. Champneys's church consists of a chancel with a N organ room and vestry, a nave with a 3-bay N aisle, and an embattled tower with a SW turret, sited on the S side of the nave at its W end. The building, in the Decorated style, is of brick faced with flint. The only Romanesque feature is the font from the old church.

Havering-atte-Bower was the name of a royal manor and liberty, centred on Romford. A royal house was in existence from the 11thc to the 17thc. It was a place of resort from the 12thc to the 16thc, and the suffix 'atte-Bower' reflects the fact that it was generally in the possession of the queen.

Following the account in the Domesday Survey, Havering-atte-Bower was held by Harold from King Edward before the Conquest as a manor of 10 hides, and to the manor were attached 4 hides held by 4 free men. In 1086 3 of these hides were held by Robert FitzCorbucion and the 4th by Hugh de Montfort. Robert also held a further 4½ hides here from the king. It was thus a substantial settlement with, in 1086, 40 villans, 41 borders and 6 slaves, indicating a total population of more than 400.

RCHME (1921), VCH (1978) and Cherry et. al. (2005) all give a late-12thc date for the font bowl. RCHME (1921) is the only authority to mention its paint, and the List Description does not record the font at all.