St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Font
The Facts
The font catches the attention of visitors as they enter the Cathedral. It is the first thing which people see and this is deliberate because it symbolises the first step on the Christian journey. Many babies, children and adults have been christened or baptised here. To find out more about what that means, go to https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings
The font is a mixture of architectural styles. The shaft is medieval but the rest of the decoration was added by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Victorian period. Around the bowl are scenes from the Bible – i) baptism of Christ ii) the Baptism of John The Baptist iii) the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch and iv) Jesus blessing the children.
The font cover is wooden and was carved by FE Howard (of Oxford) in memory of those from the parish who died in the First World War.
Did you know…?
- The ornate carved cover of the font operates with the counterweight (4 circular stones). Look in the corner behind the memorial to James Reynolds.
- The font appears to have the image of the Star of David on the bowl. This is an ancient Christian symbol and represents the Trinity twice ie it is two overlapping triangles.
- There are symbols galore on the font. Can you spot the symbols for St Edmund (a crown and crossed arrows) and St James (a scallop shell)? There are also symbols for the countries of the British Isles - a harp for Ireland, three lions for England and coats of arms for Scotland (a red lion) and Wales (four lions in quarters).
If you’d like a more in-depth tour, Cathedral Tours are available! Please speak to a welcomer to find out more details.