Category: Medieval Sundials

LYDEARD ST LAWRENCE . SOMERSET – Scratch Dial; Vertical Dial 1653

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ST LAWRENCE . LYDEARD ST LAWRENCE . SOMERSET

GRADE 1 ❖ Saxon / Norman origins. Chancel and nave c1350, rest C15, restorations 1869 and late C20. A fine example of a Somerset church, most rewarding to visit. Early C16 screen, bench ends of note. Jacobean inverted font. Splendid doors that look entirely original. A bier and an interesting clock (not openly accessible). 10m NW of Taunton. 51.0819 / -3.2461 / ST128321

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SCRATCH DIAL

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The dial is easily seen on W side of the priest’s door. It is a pleasingly straightforward quarter dial marking 6 to noon. The line spacing is somewhat random, and there is some confusion around noon, with faint lines detectable.

DEH visited St Lawrence on Sep 27th 1913, one of his early expeditions. He noted: The stylehole is large and oval, and may have been made so in efforts to extract the style. It is hard to see why this should be done with no new style added; but it does show that the removal of the gnomon was more than a century ago, and not a recent act of vandalism.

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VERTICAL DIAL 1653

BSS Record: The hours use XII for noon and IIII for four pm, and VI, VII and VIII am are written backwards (round the clock’), as is not uncommon. Around the gnomon are carved I HT S / WARDNES / 1653, the W of WARDNES being superimposed Vs, and the letters NE being conjoined, both presumably to save space.

The gnomon is an iron bar with a hooked tip, and the straight support has a curled spur on the upper side and its own hook at the top.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Vertical Dial; Dated Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

STOCKTON . WILTS . ST JOHN THE BAPTIST – Multiple Scratch Dials

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ST JOHN THE BAPTIST . STOCKTON . WILTS

GRADE I ✣  Late C12, C13, early C14, C15 and C17; restoration 1879. Interior has much of interest, described in detail by PEV. Two squints. One of several fine churches in the Wylye Valley, ranging from ruined Sutton Veny via tiny Tytherington small, medium to large. Most have at least one dial, all are worth a visit. 8m SE of Warminster 51.1433 / 2.0272 / ST981382

DIALS

St John is the supreme multi-dial church in the Wylye valley. BSS lists 17 in its records (some with circumspection). Although locations are noted, there are no drawings / images. It isn’t possible / practical to try to match my photos to the given locations in a helpful way. I have tried to sort indisputable dials from the probable, possible, and ‘not really’. My search started at the E end and mostly went W along the S side. I found 17 dials, from indisputable to some that I think meet the broad criteria.

There are 2 clusters on the ‘red’ buttresses: dials 6 – 9; and dials 11 -13

There are too many dials for detailed comment, with a variety of mostly conventional designs. A few may be rotated / re-sited. I have tried to display photos of the dials informatively and in approximate sequence E to W. A separate section deals with other candidates.

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DIAL 1

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DIAL 2

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DIAL 3

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DIAL 4

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DIAL 5

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DIAL 6

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DIAL 7

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DIAL 8

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DIAL 9

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DIAL 10

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DIAL 11

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DIAL 12

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DIAL 13

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DIAL 14

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DIAL 15

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DIAL 16

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DIAL 17

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DEBATABLE DIALS

PLAUSIBLE IN SOME WAY?

UNLIKELY / NOT AT ALL

GSS Category: Scratch Dials; Mass Dials; Multiple Dials; Medieval Church Sundials

All photos: Keith Salvesen

BRADFORD-ON-AVON . WILTS . TITHE BARN – Scratch Dial

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TITHE BARN . BRADFORD-ON-AVON . WILTS

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GRADE I ✣ The huge tithe barn is dated to the 1330s, replacing an older barn. Even allowing for restoration and maintenance over the centuries, the barn very much retains the feel of a building unchanged for several hundred years. Its situation right by – and lower than – the K&A canal adds to the pleasure of the general surroundings.

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DIAL

Scratch dials on buildings other than churches are rare. TWC mentions only 4 in his (admittedly dated) list of non-church dials, one of which is a tithe barn. Featured in this project are KENILWORTH ABBEY which has a dial on a barn that is a small part of the whole; and MUCHELNEY ABBEY which has one on the S wall of the Abbot’s Lodging. Neither can be regarded as entirely secular.

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The Bradford dial is located on the S wall on a buttress quoin stone near the entrance of the large E doorway. It is considerably eroded and damaged. I can’t see any trace of a dial above the horizontal and I take it to be a semicircle. There are ± 8 visible lines – impossible to be sure. The noon line is deeper cut and 9 (terce) seems more sharply incised, suggesting the main hour of observance. I am almost certain there there are terminal pocks on several lines, an impression taken more from the photos than from direct observation.

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PROTECTION MARKS AND GRAFFITI

Unsurprisingly for such a magnificent medieval structure, there is a vast omnium-gatherum of graffiti and protection marks, mainly at or close to the great entrances as one might expect. Anyone remotely interested in such marks will have a field day. Here is a small gallery.

ENGLISH HERITAGE

BRADFORD-ON-AVON MUSEUM

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Scratch Dial on Barn; Secular Mass Dials; Protection Marks; Medieval Graffiti

All photos: Keith Salvesen. Please ask for specific use permission to use any of these. Normally I am relaxed, but these images relate to parallel research.

 

MAIDEN BRADLEY (1) . WILTS. ALL SAINTS – Scratch Dial

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ALL SAINTS . MAIDEN BRADLEY (∏ Retired QA)

ALL SAINTS . MAIDEN BRADLEY . WILTS

GRADE I ♱ Saxon foundation. C12 (first record 1102) early C14, C15, 1845 restoration. C12 Purbeck marble font bowl. Jacobean box pews. Spiritual home of the Dukes of Somerset, duly commemorated. Original 14th century oak door, fittings. 18th-century metal sundial LINK. 7m SW of Warminster. Longleat, Stourhead nearby. 51.1468 / -2.2821 / ST803386

DIAL

The dial is located on a quoin stone on the angled W buttress of the nave, in effect facing SE. There are 8 lines (2 faint RHS), with a hint of a horizontal across the filled gnomon hole. In LLQ the large gap between the first 2 lines appears to have a pock midway between them, spaced accurately enough to be deliberate. If so, it may have been intended as a marker of Terce as the most significant hour of observance.

TWO-FACED DIAL: above the porch is an intriguing metal dial with 2 faces at right angles, facing SE and SW. This will be written up separately.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos Keith Salvesen except header, Retired QA (OS CC)

KINGSBURY EPISCOPI . SOM . ST MARTIN (2) – SCRATCH DIAL

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ST MARTIN . KINGSBURY EPISCOPI . SOM

GRADE I ♱ C14, C15; C19 restoration. Mainly Perpendicular, with a very impressive 3-stage tower. C14 font. Splendid gargoyles. Very close to MUCHELNEY ABBEY. 9m NW of Yeovil 50.9865 / -2.8042 / ST436210

NOTE This post supplements a previous post written last year HERE. There was poor light with inadequate details of the dial, now remedied in sunlight. The text is much the same.

DIAL

The dial is cut on the W buttress, S side of the tower on a large stone that is the width of the buttress. DEH visited in Sept 2012 – this was one of his early churches, perhaps because of its proximity to Downside Abbey. He describes a large, deep style hole. He counted a full complement of 24 lines: a complete wheel of thin lines without a circle. Nearly 100 years later, the design is not as clear-cut.

DEH also noted that the dial stone may have been moved during restoration of the tower, which might account for its height on the buttress (8 ft).

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

MUCHELNEY ABBEY . SOMERSET . Scratch Dial (Rare Example)

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MUCHELNEY ABBEY . SOMERSET

GRADE I ✠  C7 origins with a long and fascinating history amply covered by many sources. The Wiki entry gives a good brief account. Now only the Abbot’s House and the Lavatorium remain intact. The ruined foundations are all that can be seen of the Abbey buildings and layout.

The Abbot’s House has a number of apotropaic marks including hexfoils and taper burns, noted on the relevant pages here.

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DIAL

We visited the Abbey knowing approximately what to expect from the Abbot’s House. It is well worth exploring, and there are helpful EH volunteers on hand to give information.

We eventually reached the West Kitchen, which has a door to the S side of the building. It was a great surprise to find a simple and eroded scratch dial between the doorway and the East Kitchen window. It is quite rare to find a scratch dial on a building other than a church. Non-secular dials can occasionally be found on medieval barns. Perhaps the Abbot’s dial was originally part of the original abbey building, and re-sited. I’d prefer to think that a factotum had cut the dial specially for an Abbott so that he could keep track of the important times of the monastic day for which he was responsible.

This is not an easy dial to analyse. Certainly there is a horizontal line ( 6-to-6) that runs through the gnomon hole (very faint RHS). There is a deeper cut noon line that seems to extend above the hole to the mortar line.

As often, a b&w image can assist with finer details. There is a faint 9-line, suggesting that Terce was the primary time for observance. Possibly a further line at 11? No relevant markings LRQ.  Possibly there is a line ULQ just above the horizontal.

It is clear that EH and the guides know about the dial, but I have been unable to find a reference to it elsewhere. Probably a local research group will have recorded it, but otherwise it seems that this unusual dial (for location) is very little known

MUCHELNEY ABBEY . SOUTH FRONT

Muchelney Abbey – Abbot’s House S side showing W kitchen door . Photo by DeFacto OS CC

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

SYMONDSBURY . DORSET . ST JOHN – Scratch Dial

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ST JOHN . SYMONDSBURY . DORSET

GRADE I ❖ C14, rebuilt from earlier church (BHO); C15 S porch, C17 chancel rebuilt. Wagon-type nave roof. Gargoyles. An attractive and well-kept church. Also recommended: visit the Symondsbury Estate complex. 2m W of Bridport. 50.7396 / -2.7879 /  SY445936


DIAL

The dial is on E. jamb of the porch entrance. The gnomon hole is in the mortar line, from which 10 lines radiate in a semi-circle. The noon line is terminates in a pock. RHS, is considerably damaged / erosion. Noted by GLP as a very accurate dial.

GSS Category: Scratch Dail; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

NETHERBURY . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dial

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ST MARY . NETHERBURY . DORSET

GRADE I ☩ C14 nave and aisles; C14/15 chancel; C15 west tower. S porch rebuilt in 1848 (see below). A handsome church with pleasing proportions. 6m N of Bridport, 9m S of Crewkerne. 50.7923 / -2.7528 / SY470994

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DIAL

The dial dates to C15 and is on W jamb of SW window of S aisle. Allowing for damage, it is a (near) semi-circle with 11 lines of varying length. 8 of them have holes, some terminal and some on the longer lines. GLP notes that the dial is extremely accurately drawn. (GLP) The dial is now shaded by the C19 porch that replaced a smaller one.

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GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; analysis GLP

CHICKERELL . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dial

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GRADE II* ☩ C13 Chancel, Nave; other remnants eg blocked C13 doorway. Later additions and restorations. Fine hexagonal pulpit, one panel carved 1630 RW.IM. With its bellcote, a charming small church. On W edge of Weymouth. 50.6248 /  -2.5048 / SY643806

DIAL

The dial is high up (c 3m) on the chancel quoin stone SE corner. GLP dates to C13. Semi-circular (a hint of a complete circle?), with 13 lines. Some terminal pocks. One line – corresponding with Terce – is deeper incised, with a hole outside the circumference.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

MERE . WILTS . ST MICHAEL – Multiple Scratch Dials

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ST MICHAEL . MERE . WILTS

GRADE I ✣ Saxon origins, remnants from late C12; Chancel C13, north and south chantries C14, aisles rebuilt late C14, remainder C15. Highly praised *** by SJ: the screen is the best in Wiltshire; excellent stained glass… A small town fortunately by-passed by the dread A303. 51.0893 / -2.2711 / ST 811322

DIALS

St Michael provides plenty of scope for scratch dial sleuths to bicker about. BBS records 6. The Mere Historical Society records show Handwritten notes on green paper by John Ingram to Dr David Longbourne relating to a sundial (scratch dial) on the buttress of St Michael’s Church, Mere, 1990’s. The Church’s helpful info suggests 2 or perhaps 3. I believe there are at least 6 and possibly up to 10 dials in all.

The BSS record of 6 dials gives 1 – 3 in a cluster on buttress 2 E of the porch (see 4, 9 & 10 below); and 4 – 6 grouped further E on buttress 5 / S wall stairway area.

DIAL 1

DIAL 2

DIAL 3

DIAL 4

(and see plausible dials 9 & 10 on same stone))

DIAL 5

DIAL 6

DIAL 7

DIAL 8 (?)

DIALS 4 (above), 9 & 10

Dials 4, 9 and 10 – all different types – are on the same stone and to an extent impinge on each other.

DIAL 9

DIAL 10

CONCLUSION: enthusiasm can be an enemy of accuracy, and there is always some leeway with multiple dial Churches. I haven’t tried to analyse each dial – the array will with any luck elicit some opinions.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Multiple Scratch Dials; Scratch Dial Clusters

All photos: Keith Salvesen