ST PAUL . HAMMOON . DORSET GRADE I † Late C12 or early C13; porch added C15, C19 general restoration. A pretty and rewarding small church to visit, close to the R Stour. A simple… More
STOUR PROVOST . DORSET . ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS – 3 Scratch Dials
GRADE I † C13 origins, gradual expansion to C16 – nave, tower, north aisle, chancel, south porch. General restoration first half of C19, further restoration later C19. A fine Dorset church in a lovely setting. 6m W of Shaftsbury. 50.9932 / -2.2948 / ST794215
DIALS
St Michael has 3 dials, all different in style and complexity. With the lengthy development of the church over 3 centuries, and subsequently 2 significant C19 restorations, not all may be in their original positions (for example dial 3 is nearly 3m from ground level). If moved, at least they remained the right way up.
DIAL 1
Dial 1 is on W side of the S porch. The squared-off stone looks relocated – especially as the porch was a late (C16?) addition. There are 9 lines of varying length, with bad erosion in lower R quadrant.
The dial is / was encircled but little of the circumference line remains. GLP notes that the noon line is marked with a pock where is meets the circle and that the dial is rather inaccurately laid out and the lines do not converge on a point.
DIAL 2
Dial 2 is on a quoin stone on the SW corner of the tower. 6 long lines radiate from the blocked gnomon hole to the lower L quadrant, in effect forming a ‘morning dial’. It is not accurate.
The dial stone seems to match the others round it. Possibly it is in its original position, but it could have been moved as a block with similar stones either during the medieval period or (more probably) in C19.
DIAL 3
Dial 3 is quite high up on the S wall of the tower and difficult to examine closely. Luckily the lines, though lightly incised, are legible and the overall design is clear.
The are 12 in all, with the noon line extending upwards from the style hole to the mortar line above. Unlike the other dials, GLP notes that this one is accurately laid out, suggesting that it may have been the last dial to be cut.
ACTUAL / PLAUSIBLE / DOUBTFUL / NOT
2 other stones caught my eye during my visit. Both are dial-ish and in appropriate locations. Which category do these fall into?
GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Multi-dials
All photos: Keith Salvesen
TOLPUDDLE . DORSET . ST JOHN the EVANGELIST – 2 Scratch Dials
ST JOHN’S CHURCH . TOLPUDDLE . DORSET
GRADE I † A fine church with C12 origins, gradually enlarged C13 & C14. C19 restoration by T H Wyatt. BLB link. A village irrevocably associated with the 6 Martyrs, at least one of whom (James Hammett) lies in the churchyard. The tree where the Martyr’s met stands just outside the churchyard of St John the Baptist, on the main road through the village BE. 10m E of Dorchester. 50.7497 / -2.298 / SY790945
DIALS
Both dials are on the S transept wall, dial 1 being on a quoin stone and dial 2 being below a window. They are easily visible. GLP has some doubts about dial 2, explained below.
DIAL 1
Dial 1 is located on a quoin stone of the S transept, with the gnomon hole in the lower half. There are 6 detectible lines, 2 of which point upwards. In addition there are about 11 pocks, though it is hard to be sure of the exact number. The BSS recorded configuration shows 3 holes marking the horizontal, with the main cluster either side of the noon line, which is emphasised with 2 holes (as are 2 other lines). GLP notes the dial is very accurately laid out and no line is more than 1″ from its ideal position
DIAL 2
This design cut just below a window on S wall looks decidedly dial-ish as a very simple way to record the passage of the day. There are no detectable lines or pocks, but a stick in the now-cemented style hole would have served some purpose. The circle was perhaps to attract attention and / or highlight the shadow cast. This minimalist approach is not especially rare: for example there’s a similarly-sized slightly more elaborate dial at HAZELBURY BRYAN.
GLP calls it a dubious dial, and suggests that it would work if hour lines were marked in some other way, possibly with paint. It is not included in the BSS record for Tolpuddle
GSS Category: Scratch Dial
All photos: Keith Salvesen
BERESFORD . STAFFS . CHARLES COTTON’S FISHING HOUSE – Cube Dial
CHARLES COTTON’S FISHING HOUSE . BERESFORD . STAFFS
CUBE DIAL
GRADE II* The most famous and piscatorially significant fishing ‘hut’ in the world, in a clearing beside the River Dove, near Hartington. By a quirk of a bend in the river, the hut is in Staffs rather than Derbyshire. Single cell square plan in an Artisan Mannerist style BLB SK127592
The inscription Piscatoribus Sacrum – a sacred place for anglers – gave rise to the hut’s reverential name among fishermen, The Temple. I can’t improve on this description from HE:
Charles Cotton’s fishing house is a unique building designed specifically for the sport of angling. It was an elaborate building in relation to its simple function, an expression of Cotton’s dedication to angling and to his entertainment of fellow anglers. Izaak Walton and Cotton’s The Compleat Angler was significant in the development and diversification of the sport from the 17th century. The fishing house is a fine preservation of Charles Cotton’s angling endeavours and its association with the popular work The Compleat Angler makes it of national significance.
Dated inscription, and intertwined initials of Charles Cotton & Izaak Walton on the keystone
CHARLES COTTON’S CUBE DIAL
A while back I spent a couple of days fishing on the Beresford beat of the Dove (to little effect). Just seeing the hut close to – let alone actually using it for its intended purpose – was an amazing experience. The weather was quite poor; the photos (taken on a basic pocket Canon) poorer still. I’ve had to do some work on the images, which I hope are now clear enough to be informative. 3 faces are featured; images of the 4th, away from the sun, were useless.
The dial is fixed to the apex of the hut’s roof. It is surmounted by a round finial, then a weather vane, and – a final flourish – a trout.
GSS Category: Cube Dial
All photos: Keith Salvesen
ST RÉMY DU VAL . SARTHE . NORMANDY . FRANCE – St Rémy et St Rigomer
St Rémy du Val is about 12m SE of Alençon, in a countryside of fields and forests. The church of St Rémy et St Rigomer stands high above the river Bienne, beside a now-ruined small castle. It has early origins but dates mainly from C15. The strong tower also had a defensive purpose. At some stage a small and attractive renaissance double doorway was added, a pleasing architectural contrast.
DIAL
The dial is located on the SW face of the buttress shown in the foreground of the header image. There is a definite tilt to this part of the church supported by the buttress, and to the adjacent buildings (the photo exaggerates it considerably).
I wasn’t expecting to find a dial (or even looking for one), and I was lucky to see such an unobtrusive example as we walked past. I later discovered that there is one other mention of it, and of a possible small dial close to it.
The dial is considerably eroded and quite badly damaged in the lower R quadrant. Close-to, its relative sophistication is evident. The radials are within a double circle and as far as one can tell do not overlap the inner circumference. Almost certainly the lines were incised all the way round the gnomon hole. There is a hint that in the lower half – or perhaps just the lower L quadrant – there are half-hour marks as well. Perhaps these details suggest a C16 dial.
SMALL DIAL?
Michael Lalos, who runs a very good site for French sundials of all types, also found this small design. At first sight it doesn’t look very promising as a dial, and might perhaps be an apotropaic symbol. However in the last year I have found 2 or 3 very similar designs that in their context were most likely intended as dials.
GSS Category: Scratch Dial
All photos Keith Salvesen except the last pair, Michael Lalos
PUDDLETOWN . DORSET . ST MARY THE VIRGIN – ‘Ammonite’ Scratch Dial
ST MARY . PUDDLETOWN . DORSET
GRADE 1 † C12 Norman origins, mostly enlarged and rebuilt C13 -C15 with relatively little remaining of the earlier church. One of several ‘Puddle’ villages in the Piddle valley, each of considerable merit. St Mary is of exceptional interest for its furnishings and monuments (RCHM Dorset Vol III), including a C12 font. Atmospheric interior; like a Dickensian law court (SJ 1000 *** p.159). 50.7483 / -2.3433 / SY758943
DIAL
From a distance the dial of St Mary might easily be taken for an ammonite, especially as the church is only 20 miles from the famed Jurassic Coast. It is located on the E buttress W of the S chapel, on the L side of a large quoin stone. This is a very crudely cut dial (GLP) with 13 rather randomly cut lines extending from a now-filled gnomon hole. Its position and condition suggest that it was relocated during rebuilding or restoration. The left side is badly damaged: it would be interesting to know how it originally looked when intact.
GSS Category: Scratch Dial
All photos: Keith salvesen
RUGELEY . STAFFS . ST AUGUSTINE (OLD CHANCEL)
ST AUGUSTINE . RUGELEY . STAFFS
GRADE II † The remains of the original parish church, dating from C12, now known as the Old Chancel. The chancel, C14 tower and a linking arcade (Norman, EE) are all that’s left. Superseded by the new church, the Old Chancel retains its dignity and interest, and is obviously well looked after. It continues in use as a Sunday School. 52.7648 / -1.9353 / SK044185
DIAL(S)
It would not be surprising for there to have been a dial cut somewhere on the original church. TWC in the dial list for Staffs in his 1935 booklet doesn’t mention one here, although he mentions others in the area (Alrewas and Longdon, for example). On a recent visit Erika Clarkson found two candidates. Neither is immediately convincing; perhaps plausible at the highest.
?Dial 1 (if it is one) has its gnomon hole rather low on the stone, when it might have been centred or in the mortar line above. There are a couple of definite faint lines in the lower L quadrant that certainly seem to emanate from the hole. And a vague stubby noon line too? It’s hard to fit what could be a part circle of pocks with the offset position of the hole.
?Dial 2 is similarly vague for interpretation. The line LHS is plainly a fault in the stone, but there are 3 very faint lines descending from what could be a very shallow style hole. The middle appears to be slightly longer signifying the noon line. Again, I think it can’t be categorised higher than plausible at best. However I have seen accredited dials that look even less likely to the amateur (me).
In checking some sources, I came across this rather attractive old postcard of the Old Chancel, a minor compensation for not being more positive about its putative dials.
GSS Category: Scratch Dial
All photos: Erika Clarkson with thanks for staffing Staffs as it were. PC unattributable.
COLTON . STAFFS . ST MARY THE VIRGIN – Scratch Dial
ST MARY THE VIRGIN . COLTON . STAFFS
GRADE II* † C13 2-stage tower, chancel, chapel incorporated into C19 church (G.E.Street). An attractive juxtaposition of squat tower and much later elongated expansion. A couple of miles from Rugeley. 52.7813 / -1.9309 / SK047204
DIAL
A small and crude dial, perhaps (given the C13 origins) an early one. After centuries of erosion of the sandstone, it remains deeply cut. 4(?) lines descending from the style hole. It’s hard to tell the significance of the upward line that cuts deeply through the hole and downwards. This is not an extended noon line, yet obviously it has a purpose – maybe to add emphasis to the main service of the day (the Mass time Nones?). It’s unclear whether the dent in the stone RHS is anything to do with the dial – it doesn’t directly relate to the style hole. Probably unconnected damage.
GSS Category: Scratch Dial
Photo Credits: Dial by Erika Clarkson; header image from the St Mary Colton FB page HERE
LONGBURTON . DORSET . ST JAMES THE GREAT (2) – Scratch Dials (one ‘new’)& Vertical Dial
ST JAMES THE GREAT . LONGBURTON. DORSET (2)
Some time ago I wrote about the intriguing scratch dial rather hidden away through a low archway at the E end of the church: LONGBURTON SCRATCH DIAL 1
DIAL 1
The village is better known dial-wise for the vertical dial on the S-facing tower buttress (see below). Yesterday I went back to look for apotropaic and other church marks, and to my surprise found an excellent conventional sundial hidden in plain sight and hitherto unrecorded. I can’t think how I – or any dial gatherer – would miss it…
DIAL 2
The previously unrecorded dial is near the base of the same buttress as the vertical dial. There are 4 lines, the more clearly cut noon line being longer and reaching the edge of the dial stone (and possible trace of extension onto the stone below). The angles are almost equal. There is the distinct trace of a circle in around the top half, but strangely the gnomon hole would not be at its centre.
VERTICAL DIAL
The dial is high up on the buttress of the tower, and nearly as wide. It is quite eroded, esp. RHS. The lines are contained within a frame, and half hours and some quarter hours are also marked.
BSS notes Triple dot motif at head of half hour lines. Gnomon formed from iron strip with supporter. Supporter is detached at contact with gnomon
The dial numerals are Roman, yet there are Arabic numerals in both bottom corners signifying the date. It is hard to make it out, but I think it is 1798. There are the remains of an inscription along the top of the dial, just the last 2 letters being discernible (O & W?).
GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Old Dial
All photos: Keith Salvesen
SUNDIAL RESET FOR SUMMER…
An equatorial sundial, now reset for summer time. Old Father Time just gets on with his job.
Photo: Keith Salvesen
LODERS . DORSET . ST MARY MAGDALENE – Scratch Dial
GRADE I † C12 origins, C13 nave, C14 tower & S porch; seemingly no C19 makeover. Plenty of interest to admire here – see entry in HE. 3m NE of Bridport. 50.7458 / -2.7225 / SY491942
DIALS
St Mary has 2 dials, both on the E side of the porch (late C14). Dial 1 is easily visible on the jamb. Dial 2 is tucked into a corner on the angle formed by the S wall and a staircase that was added C15. After that addition, Dial 2 was probably little use before noon (if at all).
DIAL 1
Dial 1 is a good example of the interface between the simple dial function of marking the hours, and decorative design. This is a lovely and ambitious 24-hour dial, with 19 lines and 26 pocks. Although considerably eroded, it intricacies remain clear. There are radial variations of angle, length and emphasis. There are single pocks, double pocks, half-way pocks. GLP notes that the dial is quite accurately laid out and seems to mark most of the hours and some of the half hours as well
DIAL 2
Dial 2 is badly degraded, I suspect rather more so than when last surveyed. 3 lines emerge(d) from a gnomon hole in the dial stone. An amateur (me) would be unlikely to give it a second glance, especially in that position. In its present state it no longer matches the drawing originally made. Or I have made an ID mistake (quite possible)? GLP describes it as a very fragmentary inverted dial. Which perhaps suggests that the stone was moved / turned when the staircase was built. Or, possibly, it was a dial stone used from elsewhere on the building and intentionally inverted (as often the way with moved dials).
GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN 