Fontastic


The font at St. Basil’s church, Toller Fratrum, is one of the most fascinatingly odd things in Dorset.

No-one knows what it represents (there are plenty of theories, but your own guess is likely to be just as good), or how it got there, or even how old it is (1066 is usually a good dividing line in England, but experts can’t even agree whether this is Saxon or Norman).

It is said that the artist John Piper was interested in it, to the point that he would talk excitedly about it to friends over dinner and then insist on immediately driving them the 100+ miles from his home in Oxfordshire to see it, arriving in the early hours of the morning.  In my book that’s not ‘interested’; that’s ’obsessed’.


Just what is going on here?  There seems to be a sloth climbing a tree in the middle (pretty sure there are no sloths in the Bible), and a strange creature with two bodies but only one head at the top, balancing on pillars.  Your guess is not only as good as mine, but for this one probably as good as any of the experts.

But it’s a fascinating thing, in a lovely spot:


English Heritage say the current church is only 19th century, but built on the site of the Knights’ medieval chapel and reusing various bits from it; that modernity doesn’t detract from its loveliness, or make its contents any less peculiar.

There is also a carving of St. Mary Magdalene wiping Christ’s feet with her hair (they seem a lot more certain about this one), dated to c1130 by English Heritage based on similarity with carvings in Chichester cathedral (there seems to be an idea that it was a leftover bit from work commissioned for Chichester from a local stonemason, which has a nice air of selling off ‘seconds’).


The ‘fratrem’ bit of Toller Fratrum (Latin for ‘brothers’, but you knew that) came from the Knights Hospitaller, who owned the manor and had a Commandery here, so I’m surprised Dan Brown hasn’t worked some extravagant theories about the meaning of the font into one of his books yet; let’s hope he doesn’t read this.

The remains of the Templars’ commandery, particularly their old dining hall, can be seen in the farmyard next door - yes, the one covered in scaffolding and plastic bags (note to any passing Americans; yes, perhaps we should take more care of old things; no, you can’t buy it and take it back home):


It was probably the Knights who gave it the dedication to St Basil, who is a major figure in the Eastern Orthodox churches but almost unknown as a dedication in England (the Church of England say there are only two others).

It’s lovely, odd and fascinating; go and see it, and argue about what the carvings depict.


Location: Toller Fratrum, Dorchester DT2 0EW, UK

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