A CHURCH’S historic font has been brought in from the cold and re-dedicated in front of a parishioner who was baptised in it.

The font, thought to be around 300 years old, stood in St Philip’s Church in West Howe when it was originally built in the 1950s.

But when that building was demolished in favour of a new one in the 1986, the font was left outside.

Team vicar the Rev Christine Brooks said: “When our church was built, it wasn’t taken into the new building.

“It ended up outside the church. Somebody worked out it had probably been out there for 29 years and it got a little bit battered and worn.

“When I came to the church, I said I thought it ought to be inside the church. I asked the people of the church about it and everybody agreed.”

The congregation raised £450 towards the restoration and a retired stone mason, Derek Moores, carried out the work.

The restored font now has pride of place in the church and was re-dedicated at a celebration with the Bishop of Sherborne, the Rt Rev Dr Graham Kings.

Among those to take part in the service was Bob Lynch, who is in his 90s and was baptised in the font.

“The celebration was wonderful. It was just what we hoped,” said Christine.

“We’ve got our first baptism in the font at the beginning of December, which we’re really excited about “ No one in the church knows where the font came from originally and the vicar would love to hear from anyone with information.

She said it was good to have the font in its proper place.

“It was growing flowers outside and it’s meant to be used for growing Christians, not flowers,” she said.