Baptismal Font - Bourton-on-Dunsmore

This limestone octagonal font belongs stylistically to the Decorated Gothic period and is best dated to the 14th century. Each face of the bowl is carved with a pointed trefoil set beneath a steeply pitched gable, the gable apex marked by a small floral boss. The tracery is shallowly cut and now considerably worn, but the alternating rhythm of arches and gables remains clear, giving the bowl a unified architectural character typical of mid- to late-medieval font design.
The bowl rests on a cylindrical stone stem formed of roughly coursed blocks—almost certainly earlier fabric reused when the present bowl was installed. The contrast between the plain, robust base and the more refined Gothic carving above is a feature seen in several Northamptonshire fonts where medieval bowls were set onto older supports.
The font is covered by a later timber lid of pyramidal form, probably 18th or early 19th century, with a turned knop finial. Although the lid is a later addition, its simple geometry complements the strong verticals of the carved gables below.
Overall, the combination of octagonal plan, pointed trefoils, and gabled arcading is entirely consistent with 14th-century church furnishings and reflects the Decorated style then prevalent in the county.
