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Object type: Impost
Measurements: H. c. 20 cm (7.9 in); W. c. 57 cm (22.4 in); D. Built in
Stone type: Pale grey, fine-grained, finely glauconitic sandstone; Reigate Stone, Upper Greensand, Gault Group, Lower Cretaceous
Plate numbers in printed volume: Ill. 61
Corpus volume reference: Vol 4 p. 139
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The north tower of Dartford church is of Norman date, and in its present location the piece is clearly reused. The south face of the impost block has been cut away, and the block set flush with the soffit of the arch.
The form of the cabled mouldings, with the twisting strands modelled and each with a median incision of V-shaped profile, appears to be a distinctive late pre-Conquest type in south-east England. It is found, for example, on the imposts from Walkern 2 and Little Munden, Hertfordshire, and on the corners of the cross-shaft from All Hallows-by-the-Tower, London.
