“The Virgins Heart”

St Mary The Virgin, Earl Stonham, Suffolk

The font in Earl Stonham dates from about 1460 and has an array of detailed carvings on its sides. As with other parts of the church it was mutilated under the orders of Thomas Dowsing in the 1640’s and all the faces of the cherubs at each corner have been destroyed. The side panels though remain largely intact especially on the south side where there is a pierced sacred heart within a wreah of leaves,  representative of the Virgin Mary to whom the church is dedicated. Over the years the font has been painted as was probably brightly painted when it was first created.



Much of this paint has been lost with the best place to see fragments being on the underside where red colouring can be clearly seen. Other panels feature a seeded pomegranate within a crown of thorns, angels holding shields and a square lattice of ribbons with fleur-de-lys terminals.

The font is positioned at the west end of the church near to the entrance.

Earl Stonham church is open every day