The petition seeking permission for a re-ordering of the church was issued by the vicar and churchwardens of the parish, one of the churchwardens being the owner of Maxstoke Castle, which adjoins the church. The church dates from after 1333, having been built by Sir William de Clinton, who also built Maxstoke Castle, and is listed as Grade II*.

The works were uncontroversial save for the relocation of the Victorian font to either the churchyard, where it would be a feature, or to Maxstoke Castle. The petition described the font as redundant as it was located in an area where families could not gather round for baptism and it had not been used for many years. In its place the parish used an earlier Georgian font which Historic England commended as having greater historical significance and using the space better. The space released by the font's removal would be used for children's activities and at other times for private prayer. The Diocesan Advisory Committee and Historic England supported the proposal. The Victorian Society expressed concern about the separation of the font from its decorative tiling and had concerns about its weathering if located outdoors.

The chancellor found that, while the Victorian font had some artistic merit, the Georgian font was more harmonious with the appearance of the church, and the relocation of the Victorian font would enable the distinctive tiles to be more visible. The proposals would not harm the significance of the tiles. Any harm from the removal of the Victorian font would be mitigated by the ongoing use of the Georgian font and would be outweighed by the benefits of more flexible space enabled by the removal. The faculty was granted. The font could be relocated to the churchyard on condition that suitable expert evidence was obtained as to the likely effect of it being exposed to the weather. If the evidence showed that protection from the weather was needed, the font could be removed to the castle. [Catherine Shelley]