HEXFOILS & DAISY WHEELS

Hexfoils (aka Hexafoils), Daisy Wheels and similar designs that are currently added to the Apotropaic page. I’ll probable put (some of) these on that page too. Or not

The hexfoil is a design with six-fold dihedral symmetry composed from six vesica piscis

An excellent entry point for those interested in hex(a)foils is (as so often, in more esoteric fields) Wiki. I commend the brief article HEXFOILS that explains the various designs and origins.

Although primarily associated with churches, hexfoils can be found in other buildings such as barns. Usually they are cut on stone, though sometimes on wood.

Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey: Hexfoil examples

GORWELL BARN . Nr ABBOTSBURY . DORSET

ST MICHAEL . BLACKFORD . SOMERSET

ST MARY MAGDALENE . LODERS . DORSET

St Mary Magdalene . Loders . Dorset – S Porch, Hexfoil

ST ROCH . PENDOMER . SOMERSET

When I originally wrote up this interesting dial with its double ring of pocks, I noted the 2 (part) circles at the side. One has no discernible marks; the other has very faint marks that on closer examination are the remains of a badly eroded hexfoil with a small amount of the compass work still faintly visible.

St Roch . Pendomer . Som – Hexfoil adjacent to scratch dial

Hexfoil upper left of dial

ST MARY . LITTLE WASHBOURNE . GLOS

A large eroded hexfoil to the R of the entrance to this intriguing small Norman church that stands alone in an orchard. In the care of CCT.

St Mary . Little Washbourne . Glos – Hexfoil

ST THOMAS À BECKET . LYDLINCH . DORSET

A confusing 3-petal hexfoil (trefoil?) / daisy wheel, with other apotropaic marks

St Thomas à Becket . Lydlinch . Dorset – Hexfoil, Marian and other Church Marks

ALL SAINTS . KINGS BROMLEY . STAFFS

All Saints . Kings Bromley . Staffs – Hexfoil

ST MICHAEL . STEEPLE . DORSET

Crude hexfoil of uncertain age – unconvincing as a medieval design

Online resource that I have temporarily lost for credit purposes