ST DEINST . LLANGARRON . HEREFS

GRADE 1 † C14 & C15; records of C11 origins; trace Norman interlace patterns. Restorations ±1900; later replacement of the top of the spire, repurposed as sundial pillar. Only 1 other church (Itton, nearby) with this Dedication.  7m N of Monmouth; 7m SW of Ross-on-Wye. 51.8871 / -2.6838 /  SO530211

PILLAR (STEEPLE) DIAL

GV II † Tip of spire C14 adapted as horizontal sundial pillar late C19. In churchyard SW of the tower in an ideal place for admiration. Coursed & squared sandstone rubble, circular base. C14 masonry BLB

1. CHURCHYARD VIEW

2. HORIZONTAL DIAL

The dial is octagonal, with quarter-hours marked. IV as IIII. The inscription seems to be Llangarron Parish; and the maker’s name Counsell (though I can find no reference). The Roman numerals are conventional.

SCRATCH DIAL

BSS records a scratch dial with 3 lines on the buttress to W of S porch, in a poor state. Notes include Max. length lines, mm 80. Hard as I looked, I couldn’t find a dial in the given location, or at any height on the buttress. Or elsewhere. Possibly the stonework has deteriorated since the original record was made. The best I can offer is the BSS sketch; and the most promising dial-like area of the buttress.

CONSECRATION CROSS

A fine consecration cross, one of the largest I have seen. One puzzle is that the cross is too large for the stone, so that LHS is cut off at the edge. It seems unlikely that the designer mis-measured to that extent. Possibly the stone was moved and trimmed to fit its present position during restoration.

St Deinst is well described in an online page LLANGARRON HISTORY

GSS Category: Horizontal Dial; Pillar Dial; Scratch Dial; Consecration Cross

All photos: Keith Salvesen