Ruins and Romans, Fonts and Furrows. Anything Old in Lancashire

[Maggie.]

The font at Grindale has steeper sides to its hollow - looks more like how I imagine a font should look than does our candidate 

[Greensleeves]

I did wonder at one time whether your 'font' could be a mortar, but considering the dimensions, I would hate to think what size pestle you would need for it and how heavy said pestle would be!  So I think we can discount that one.  I do think a stoup is possible though.

[Maggie.]

I'm just imagining the pestle and laughing.  I'm veering towards it being a stoup but I do need to go and see it again.

[groom]

Actually, the same sort of idea crossed my mind, GS. Something like this for grinding corn by hand.

[youngtug]

Bear with me, this might,and might not be the correct link  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07433a.htm

[youngtug]

Was correct, so, that was holy water fonts, not to be confused with baptismal fonts,  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02274a.htm

[Maggie.]

I'm absorbed and learning a lot, YT............ thanks 

[Greensleeves]

Interesting links there YT - quite fascinating.  Where it mentions font 'stoups', does that mean that the stoups were used as fonts?

[youngtug]

Stoups are fonts used for the visitors/congregation to the church to purify themselves, make the holy signs etc,[spectacles, testicles, watch & wallet] They are usually at the entrance, sometimes in a porch, sometimes in the chuch itself and sometimes outside.



Forgot to say; when entering the church.