the church of st john baptist
the Font
in St John's church
Standing at the western end of the south aisle of St John's church, is the large octagonal font. It is delicately carved with a quatrefoil frieze with cresting over. It is believed the font is contemporary with the building of the present church. It has been restored and has been moved around the church several times through the centuries.
Originally it was set in the traditional location of just inside the south door. During the Commonwealth (from 1649) it was placed in the Easter Sepulchre in the chancel until, in 1856, it was moved in front of the western pier of the south aisle. It was relocated to the tower in 1878 before finally being placed in its present position in the late 20th century.
In 1987, the
floor around it
was tiled and
the Ham stone
step added. The
ornate canopy
and lifting gear
were added in
1911 to
commemorate
Queen Victoria
and King Edward
VII. The canopy
and lifting gear
were recently
removed for
Health & Safety
reasons and are
now stored in
the north
transept.
gallery
This photograph
features in my
book 'The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil - a History and Guide'.
St John's font, photographed in 2023.
