Somerset Scratch Dials – Page 2 – GAUDIUM SUB SOLE: Scratch Dials & Sundials Medieval to Modern

MUCHELNEY ABBEY . SOMERSET . Scratch Dial (Rare Example)

Published on April 21, 2024May 2, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

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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

MARTOCK . SOM . ALL SAINTS – Multiple Scratch Dials

Published on October 24, 2023October 25, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ALL SAINTS . MARTOCK . SOMERSET

GRADE 1 † Mid-C13 with earlier origins; expansion to C16; restorations by Ferrey and Scott 1860 and later. A most impressive Parish church with a 4-stage tower. Admired by PEV as one of the loveliest of Somerset churches on account of its splendid Perp. work on the nave; and for being remarkably airy and spacious. 50.9693 / -2.7687 / ST461191

DIALS

A most rewarding multi-dial church. As often, estimates of the number vary. DEH recorded 5 dials in June 1915 and included a photograph of the dial above in his book.

BHO refers to 7 dials [and also notes that one buttress on the north side has footholds cut in it to aid the recovery of fives balls from the leads when the game was played there in the 18th century. There’s a whole book to be written about the fives courts of Wessex] BSS records 7 dials, without details.

There are so many excellent dials to admire that I am not including interpretations of individual dials. The light was good for photos and the various designs speak for themselves. I haven’t given locations either. Most are in obvious places; also check sides of buttresses. It was a lot of fun finding a couple of new dials, and anyone reading this may prefer to investigate for themselves. DEH’s record is given at the end.

DIAL 1

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DIAL 2

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DIALS 3 & 4

DIAL 3

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

ARCS etc

Having recently written up Winterbourne Stoke and a few other multi-dial churches, I have decided not to include a plain arc as (part of) a dial unless there’s at least one other dial-ish feature – evidence of a centered hole in the mortar line; perceptible lines; pocks; and so on. I’ll still feature them but not as part of a dial count. Unless corrected of course – please do.

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CONSECRATION CROSS OUTSIDE PORCH

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The pride of Martock Church is its superb angel roof, installed in the first decade of the 16th century and completed in 1513. The roof design is a king-post style with tracery infill between the truss beams. There are central pendants from each cross-beam, above which rise beautifully carved figures. (David Ross, Britain Express)

DOM ETHELBERT HORNE’S 5 DIALS

200. (1) This dial is on the w. side of the s. porch. It is 6 feet 1 inch above the ground. The noon line is 3 3/4 inches in length, the style hole is 1 inch deep, and is in a joint. The aspect is s. by 5° e. (See No. 12.)

201. (2) This dial is under the first window E. of the s. porch. It is 4 feet 7 inches above the ground, the noon line is 3 inches in length, the style hole is 1 3/4 inches deep, and the aspect is s. by 15° e. Type 6.

Dial No. 2 is of the unique shape that exists at Tintinhull (224) and Swainswick (25).

202. (3) This dial is on the second buttress e. of the s. porch. It is 5 feet 9 inches above the ground, the noon line is 3 1/2 inches in length, the style hole is very shallow, and the aspect is s. by 15° e. Type 3.

203. (4) This dial is under the third window e. of the s. porch. It is 3 feet 10 inches above the ground, the noon line is 2 inches in length, the style hole is If inches deep, and the aspect is s. by 15° e. Type 10.

204. (5) This dial is on the fifth buttress e. of the s. porch. It is 5 feet 1 inch above the ground, the noon line is 5 1/4 inches in length, the style hole is 1 1/4 inches deep, and the aspect is s. by 15° e. Type 5c.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Multiple Dial Church

All photos: Keith Salvesen

WHITELACKINGTON . SOM . ST MARY THE VIRGIN – Scratch Dial

Published on October 21, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY . WHITELACKINGTON . SOMERSET

GRADE II* ✣ C14 / C15. Pleasantly situated by the Manor. Note that the church is up a driveway the opposite side of the busy road from the signposted village itself. 50.9335 / -2.8843 / ST379152

DIAL

The Whitelackington dial eluded me a year ago when I was looking at several churches either side of the road between Yeovil and Taunton. Cricket at SCC was due to start and took precedence. Having in mind that DEH was enthusiastic enough to include a photo of the dial (taken 5 Sep 1912) in his pioneering treatise, I knew I should try again, and harder.

As it turned out, the dial was invisible until parting the branches of a yew hedge on the Manor side. The S side of St Mary blends into the Manor gardens and It feels sightly transgressive to be poking about in the greenery.

DEH’s RECORD

115 YEARS LATER

Photo 3 shows the features noted by DEH, including the possible noon hole in the lower joint

THE BUTTRESS

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Hidden Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen except B&W, Dom Ethelbert Horne

STOCKLINCH . SOM . ST MARY MAGDALEN – Vertical Dial

Published on October 19, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY MAGDALEN . STOCKLINCH . SOMERSET

GRADE I ✣ Late C13, records from 1334. A charming small church, with its 3 bells hung on wheels. A plaque lists 19 men who returned safely from WW1; it is a ‘Doubly Thankful’ village with no casualties in WW2 either. See also neighbouring STOCKLINCH OTTERSEY, a closely linked church. Close to Barrington Court NT. 50.9508 / -2.8797 / ST383171

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DIAL

The dial is perched on the apex of the squat porch. It is square, significantly canted, and with ‘shoulders’ upon which rests a ball finial. Given its exposed position, the dial is in good condition. BSS dates it to 1612. There is a clear-cut semicircle with a full complement of lines, and with pocks marking the half hours.

CANTING

GNOMON ANGLES

INSCRIBED MOTTO

The words WATCH AND PRAY are inscribed above the dial face. Erosion and lichen have made it hard to see. Below the dial are the words REDEEME THE TIMES, with the final S fitted in above the line. The numerals – damaged LHS – are Arabic.

PUCKINGTON . SOM . ST ANDREW – Scratch Dial

Published on October 16, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST ANDREW . PUCKINGTON . SOM

GRADE II* † C13 (of which traces), C15, major C19 restoration. An attractive church to visit, close to Barrington Court NT. 50.9606 / -2.8884 / T377182

DIAL

DEH visited in Sept 1912 and recorded: The dial is on the W side of the Priest’s door… 2 early A.M. lines are all that show but the stone is badly weathered and others may have been on it.

The erosion is doubtless worse now. One can just about make out a short horizontal 6-line L side, and a trace line below. Without DEH’s pioneering scratch dial project, I doubt that this little dial would ever have achieved a later mention.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

STOCKLINCH OTTERSEY . SOM . ST MARY – Scratch Dial

Published on August 31, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY . STOCKLINCH OTTERSEY . SOM

GRADE II* † Mainly C13, C14. Norman font. Alone on a hillside, accessible only on foot. Originally a separate parish from the close-by village of Stocklinch Magdalene; later amalgamated; now redundant and in the care of CCT. 3m NE of Ilminster. 50.9535 / -2.8813 / ST381174

DIAL

DEH visited St Mary in September 1912, one of his earliest field trips from Downside Abbey on his motorcycle in search of scratch dials. As he described it there is a doubtful dial on the E side of the Priest’s door. It is in a likely position, but the stone is so badly weathered that no lines can be traced upon it. To which I can only add even less so 100+ years later, especially with lichen obscuring scrutiny.

I include this record both because St Mary repays a visit for its location alone, and for completeness. Very close is the small Church of Stocklinch Magdalene, and it’s a short distance to BARRINGTON church with 4 scratch dials; and Barrington Court (NT) which has 2 outstanding pillar dials in the gardens.

On the same side of the priest’s door, 2 stones lower, is a smaller apparently drilled hole with some sort of lining (?), but also no dial-ish features.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

BARRINGTON . SOMERSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dials

Published on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY THE VIRGIN . BARRINGTON . SOMERSET

GRADE l † C13 origins; mainly C15 with C19 slightly controversial restoration. Dec and Perp. A fine-looking church with a handsome octagonal tower (one of a number in the area). Picturesque PEV. Combine with Barrington Court (NT) – 2 remarkable pillar dials: one is a dodecahedron with pentagonal faces (post in due course). 4m N of Ilminster. 50.9592 / -2.8712 / ST389181

DEH the pioneering Downside monk visited on Sept 10th 1912 on one of his early dialling expeditions using a motorbike to get around. He recorded 3 dials in a group on the buttress at the W corner of the S transept. There is a fourth plausible dial in the same location.

DIALS

DIAL BUTTRESS

DIAL 1

This interesting dial has 10 / 11 radials extending from an enlarged gnomon hole. 8 & 9 are marked by deeper cut lines, suggesting the most important Mass time was Terce. The lower half of the dial has a few pocks on or near the circumference. Intriguingly the top half of the dial has a complete semi-circle of pocks. These are quite carefully graduated so that midnight has the largest, and on either side the size of pock reduces. There’s a trace of a single line upwards from the gnomon hole to midnight. DEH noted This dial has been added to and made into a wheel.

DIAL 2

Immediately above Dial 1, with a blocked gnomon hole in the mortar-line. There are 2 clear lines and 3 (4?) others. 2 (3?) appear to end in pocks.

DIAL 3

Dial 3 is sandwiched between Dials 1 and 4. The most obvious feature is the blocked hole. There is a faint noon line and the hint of a 9 line.

DIAL 4

On a quoin stone E of Dial 1 is a shallow hole from which a single thin line extends to mark noon. Plausibly a dial – especially as in a group – but perhaps not definite.

DIAL GROUPING

St Mary . Barrington . Somerset – 4 scratch dials

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Dial Group

All Photos: Keith Salvesen

HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE . SOM . ST MARY (revisited) – Scratch Dial

Published on July 17, 2023July 17, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST MARY – 1123 (on earlier site)

LISTING † II*

LOCATION † 3m SW of Yeovil, near E & W Coker 50.9048 / -2.6949 / ST512119

An extended village close to the A30 yet approached by lanes (as they are actually named) rather than roads. A peaceful feel to it, especially at dusk ~~when this poor photo was taken~~. The church had ‘much work’ carried out in C15 and C18. Tower probably of 1123, in three stages, font possibly from same date. BLB.

I visited St Mary a couple of years ago at dusk (it was last on a list), so I have re-photographed the church and updated the post.

DIAL † At the W. end and quite easily overlooked. DEH did not investigate or list it in 1915. A full circle, one clear radial and a square style hole. Possible trace of outer circle top left. Not noted in BLB, HE, nor in TWC extensive list of Somerset dials. I found only one reference to this dial that led me here; since then, one passing reference to a sundial in the porch – perhaps this dial relocated in C15?

NOTES The circular font is thought to be original dating from 1123, and the clock mechanism was built and installed before 1707. There are 6 bells in the tower, 3 of which are from the Purdue (Closworth) foundry, with the earliest being dated 1591

GSS Category – Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

KINGSBURY EPISCOPI . SOM . ST MARTIN – Scratch Dial

Published on July 11, 2023May 1, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARTIN . KINGSBURY EPISCOPI . SOM

GRADE 1 † C14, C15 with C19 restorations. Predominantly Perp. A large and impressive building in a small community, admired by PEV: ‘of great interest’. A companion to nearby Huish Episcopi. 9m NW of Yeovil. 50.9865 / -2.8042 / ST436210

NOTE: this post has been superseded in April 2024 after a visit in sunshine. The faint dial markings owing to poor light are now legible. The text is much the same. See the new post HERE

DIAL

The dial is located on the W buttress on the S side, and has a gnomon hole large enough to be seen from the church path. DEH visited in Sept 1912 and noted that, because the dial is about 8′ above ground level, it would have been moved to its present position during reconstruction of the tower (the oldest part of the church).

The dial is very eroded, and it is now hard to make out the details. DEH describes a complete wheel of thin lines without a circle. More than a hundred years later, the design is very faint indeed. Neither inspection nor photos reveal what DEH will have seen.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

NORTH CADBURY . SOM . ST MICHAEL – Scratch Dials

Published on March 18, 2023March 18, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

GRADE I † Mainly early C15, some older fragments; later restorations. A huge church for a small village. Simon Jenkins awards it ** and with good reason. Wonderful bench ends, not to be missed. See BLB for more. Midway between Wincanton and Ilchester. 51.0417 / -2.5214 / ST635270

DIALS

DEH visited in April 1914 and recorded 3 dials, all on S facing buttresses, one close to the priest’s door. They are very eroded. There are possible remnants of 2 further dials, mentioned below.

DIAL 1

St Michael . North Cadbury . Som. – Scratch Dial

DEH 169. (1) This dial is on the first buttress w. of the s. porch. It is 5 feet above the ground, the noon line is 4 inches in length, the stylehole is 5/8 of an inch in depth by 1/2 an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 15° e.

Located on the buttress W of S porch. An obvious style hole with a semicircle (6 – 6) of unobtrusive small pocks. Photography has its limitations and St Michael tested them. Records mention 13 to 16 pocks. One can just make out the faintest of traces of lines at noon and 2.

BSS suggests a possible dial immediately above. Assuming a style hole in the mortar line, there are a few pocks in the immediate area, but rather disorganised. Doubtful rather than plausible.

DIAL 2

DEH 170. (2) This dial is on the first buttress E. of the s. porch. It is 4 feet 10 inches above the ground, the noon line is 3 inches in length, the style hole is about 11/2 inches in depth by 3/4 of an inch in diameter. The aspect is s. by 15° e.

As with Dial 1, very eroded and with little visible detail even when one is quite close. There are 8 detectable lines with a perimeter of pocks, probably (BSS) 13 with extra pocks at 8.30 and 10.30 – presumably Mass indicators.

DIAL 3

DEH 171. (3) This dial is on a buttress e. of the priest’s door. It is 5 feet 8 inches above the ground, the noon line is 4 1/4 inches in length, the style hole is 7/8 of an inch in depth and 1/2 an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 15° e.

Situated on S side of the chancel, on the buttress E of the Priests’ door. There are 13 lines and a full complement of 24 pocks. The line angles are at approx 15º intervals. BSS notes a possible ‘tiny dial’ above it.

MEDIEVAL GRAFFITI

The porch contains the original stone benches on either side. These are often troves of graffiti, in particular apotropaic symbols and other ritual protection marks designed to repel evil or to prevent its entering the church. These signs are quite common to find in other locations both outside and inside a church (see HERE). However, in many churches, stone benches were replaced in succeeding centuries. St Michael has retained the benches, on which there are excellent examples of marks that are relatively rare. There are hands here, and a medieval swastika (a Sanskrit word) from several centuries before its more recent symbolic adoption. It incorporates a repelling circle mark, where evil may be captured within its continuous circumference.