ST MARY . STEEPLE ASHTON . WILTS

GRADE I ❖ Late C15 (dedication 1281). The tower belies the village’s name. In 1670 the original spire was twice struck by lightning, and destroyed. The 4-stage tower became the solution. One of the finest Perpendicular churches in the county PEV. Much of interest both interior and exterior. Take your time. Splendid grotesques. 5m E of Trowbridge. 51.3131 / -2.1356 / ST906571

The Roman numerals are stylishly incised, and the design of the dial is sophisticated enough to include quarter hour lines within the thin outer circle. I haven’t (yet) found a specific reference to the date of the dial. It ornaments the rather plain Tudor-ish porch and from the style, my hunch is that it was cut after the steeple dramas, and perhaps because of them.

ALL SAINTS . ALTON PANCRAS

The ambitious scale of the dial is comparable with the vast dial of All Saints, Alton Priors below, which is about 18m east LINK

GROTESQUES

ST MARY . STEEPLE ASHTON . WILTS

GSS Category: Vertical Dial; Vertical Church Dial; Huge Church Dial; Incised Church Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen