Historic Churches of Buckinghamshire

Historic Churches of Buckinghamshire is a project launched in 2018, with only a few churches included at the moment.

Index of Aylesbury Fonts

'Aylesbury Fonts' - Cup or Chalice shaped with vertical fluting on the lower part of the bowl. - There are some 22 of these, named after one of the best examples in St. Mary's Church, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. They are mainly situated in mid Buckinghamshire and under 8 miles from the Icknield Way with half of them being within a mile. Two fonts in Buckinghamshire are a little further afield in Chenies and Ludgershall, while the two simpler ones in Northamptonshire, at Duston and Eydon, are much further away.
The Buckinghamshire fonts are at Aylesbury, Bledlow, Buckland, Chearsley, Chenies, Dinton, Great Hampden, Great Kimble, Great Missenden, Haddenham, Linslade (Old), Little Missenden, Ludgershall, Monks Risborough, Old Linslade, Pitstone, Saunderton and Weston Turville.
Those at Chenies and Pitstone have been re-cut. Only the base exists at Wing where the present font is Perpendicular. They do not all have the same characteristic features, for example the font at Old Linslade does not have fluting on the bowl. (Old Linslade was in Bucks until 1965). The font at Dinton is a later version.
In Bedfordshire there are 'Aylesbury' fonts at Houghton Regis and at Flitwick (a simpler version). The font at Barton-le-Clay was recut in the 15th century and only the rope-moulded rim survives of the original.

They were mostly made at the end of the 12th century, of stone from the Totternhoe quarry in Bedfordshire. The finest examples are at Aylesbury, Great Kimble, Weston Turville and Houghton Regis (in Bedfordshire). That at Bledlow appears to be a locally made copy of the Great Kimble one and that at Monks Risborough, the base at Wing and possibly those at Great and Little Missenden are probably by the same workmen. Decoration similar to that on the upper rim at Aylesbury and Weston Turville occurs on a late 12th century doorway at St. Alban's Abbey while a detail on a capital there resembles the decoration on the scalloped bases of these two fonts. The chalice shape and decoration may have also been inspired by the gold chalices made at St. Alban's at the same time. This suggests that the craftsmen responsible for the design of these fonts may have been trained at St. Alban's. However, recent theories presume that they were actually made at Totternhoe, before being transported along the Icknield Way.
There is a font in Zealand, Denmark, which closely resembles those at Aylesbury and Great Kimble and it is known that there were artistic connections between St. Alban's and Denmark at that time so patterns appear to have been exchanged.

The above is partly adapted from http://www.petergoodearl.plus.com/ken/aylesburyfonts/index.htm which has comprehensive information on Aylesbury Fonts and many photographs.

 18 churches with 18 Aylesbury Fonts

Church	Thumbnail (Click Image to Enlarge)	Features
St Mary Aylesbury	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2016	Norman: Font (the Aylesbury Font after which the others of the type are named).
Holy Trinity Bledlow	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2015	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
All Saints Buckland	Image © Rex Harris, 2016	13C: Font, a late version of the Aylesbury type.
St Nicholas Chearsley	Image © Eric Hardy, 2014	Early 13C: Font, a late version of the Aylesbury type.
St Michael Chenies	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2010	Norman: Norman font (Aylesbury type).
			Top
St Peter & Paul Dinton	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Mary Magdalene Great Hampden	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Nicholas Great Kimble	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2015	Norman: Norman font (Aylesbury type).
St Peter & Paul Great Missenden	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2018	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Mary Haddenham	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
			Top
St Mary Linslade, Old (N of town)	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2014	Norman: Norman font (Aylesbury type).
St John the Baptist Little Missenden	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Norman font (Aylesbury type).
St Mary Ludgershall	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Dunstan Monks Risborough	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2019	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Mary the Virgin Pitstone	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
			Top
St Mary & St Nicholas Saunderton	Image © Michael G Hardy, 2015	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
St Mary the Virgin Weston Turville	Image © Michael G Hardy, 1996	Norman: Font (Aylesbury type).
All Saints Wing	Image © Rob Farrow, 2014	Norman: Font Base only, (Aylesbury type).