This substantial Norman font is carved from a single block of local red sandstone, its original tool-finished surfaces still visible beneath later limewash and wear. The bowl is octagonal, with broad, flat faces and sharply angled lower chamfers typical of early 12th-century Romanesque workmanship.1 Its walls are thick and the interior deep, reflecting the practical liturgical requirements of the period, when substantial volumes of water were used for baptism.

The bowl rests on a square central stem, also of red sandstone, which in turn stands upon a stepped plinth. Both elements are plain and functional, with minimal shaping. The slightly irregular geometry and the variations in surface finish indicate true Norman hand-carving rather than later medieval or Victorian recutting.

Unlike many more elaborate fonts of the region, the Ryton-on-Dunsmore example is entirely undecorated, relying on its mass and robust form for visual presence. This austerity is characteristic of rural Warwickshire Romanesque, where simpler octagonal or cylindrical tubs predominated over the more sculptural work seen in neighbouring counties.

The current wooden lid is modern and utilitarian, serving practical rather than historical purposes.

This font remains one of the more distinctive early Norman survivals in the district, notable for its material, scale, and plain, architectural solidity.

• 1. Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland