GORWELL BARN . DORSET – Hexfoil / Daisy Wheel & Church Marks

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GORWELL BARN . DORSET

The barn is part of Gorwell Farm about 3m N of Abbotsbury, deep within the folds of steep hills, with ancient trackways, a stone circle, and strewn with sarsen stones. It has several uses, including as an excellent wedding venue; a lecture venue in particular for historical, geological, and similar types of research; and an educational centre.

The barn is C17 and has been sympathetically restored. During the process, work on the interior walls uncovered a fine hexfoil, and stones with graffiti and other marks. These are usually associated with churches, but barns were also ornamented in this way.

This is not a dial post, but it fits in with the ancillary purpose of including related matters of interest (see MENU and the various subcategories)

HEXFOIL

Hexfoils (hexafoils), also called daisy wheels or petals, are not uncommon. They are mostly found in churches; less often in secular buildings. Generally they are compass-drawn and symmetrical. There are three main theories to explain them, not mutually exclusive.

1. A form of Consecration Cross (an attribution given eg to the fine hexfoil at St Mary, Cerne Abbas, Dorset below). However, the many thousands of conventional crosses on churches all over the country suggest that there would be little need for a large daisy wheel except perhaps in a significant church. Often there are several on a church, each marking a particular event such as a Bishop’s visit or blessing. The maximum is generally 12, though a few churches (eg St Mary, Holnest, Dorset) have 14.

2. Symbols created by masons in the course of construction, a theory debunked firmly by medieval graffiti expert Matthew Champion on several irrefutable grounds.

3. Ritual protection marks (apotropaic symbols) designed to ward off / neutralise evil. To this can be added the concept of the Demon Trap whereby evil is confined within the circle – a line with no end – rendering it powerless.

Hexfoil . St Mary . Cerne Abbas . Dorset

‘4-LEAF CLOVER’ and GEOMETRIC SYMBOLS

I haven’t found such a clear example of a 4-petal style before. It is both decorative and protective: again, evil is attracted to it and then caught by the unbroken lines. Strengthening the case, the design to the left is an eroded example of a fairly common protection mark. These involve a geometric shape – usually a rectangle – with a pattern of joined dots. More complex ones look something like a square solitaire board.

SEMICIRCLE

This looks compass drawn. There is a hole on the lowest part of the circumference which – if a sundial – would be significant as marking noon.

MISCELLANEOUS GRAFFITI

GSS Category: Hexfoil; Daisy Wheel; Church Marks; Graffiti; Secular apotropaic symbols

All photos Keith Salvesen, and remembering the Sarsen Stone project

PADUA . VENETO . BASILICA of ST ANTHONY

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SUNDIAL

The oblong dial is located high up on the south side of the Basilica. Its modern design contrasts notably with its setting. I can imagine some debate over modern versus traditional styles. It was installed in 2020; a caption refers to renovation.

The dial’s height and size makes it very visible. John Renner, who took these photos, suggests convincingly that there must always have been a dial of some sort there, I’d have thought, to be visible to the friars from their cloister and help them say their hours on time. I have now managed to locate a photo taken from the cloister of an earlier dial with a much simpler day-marker. Probably it replaced an even earlier one.

The details of the new dial include 4 signs of the Zodiac; 2 midday roman numerals; 1/2 hours marked with pale arrowed lines; and a fairly traditional motto. The most interesting feature is the gnomon, which is tilted for accuracy and looks adjustable. As the photos clearly show, the sun’s rays are focused through a small hole onto the dial face – here, at exactly 9.30 am.

See HERE for the Scaphe Dial in the Padua Botanical Gardens (one of 3 dials there)

Basilica of St Anthony . Padua . Wiki

GSS Category: Modern Dial; Vertical Dial; Dials in Italy

All photos: John Renner, with thanks as always; Expedia for the old dial

LITTLE LANGFORD . WILTS . ST NICHOLAS OF MYRA – SCRATCH DIAL . HEXFOIL . TYMPANUM

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ST NICHOLAS OF MYRA . LITTLE LANGFORD . WILTS

GRADE II* † C12 – C15; Wyatt restoration 1864. Myra (as Church Notice Board; OBS); also, Mira. Charming small church in Little Langford (not nearby Steeple Langford as mostly given in refs) down a side road off a side road. A pleasure to visit and of considerable interest. C12 font bowl; a fine tympanum with symbolic carvings; a large hexfoil re-sited high up on E end N quoin; and – most relevant here – an excellent scratch dial re-sited as quoin stone low down W end of N side (cf Litlington E Sx). 51.1288 /  -1.933 / SU047366

DIAL

Re-purposed, inverted, and making a fine quoin stone. 9 lines (2 faint). Deeper cut noon line. An afternoon dial presumably with Observance ± None.

HEXFOIL

Very visible once noticed re-sited high up N side of E end

TYMPANUM

Well worth examining closely to work out the symbolism before looking it up on HE / BLB

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Re-sited dail; Inverted dial; Hexfoil; Tympanum

All photos: Keith Salvesen

PADUA . BOTANICAL GARDENS . SCAPHE DIAL

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This wonderful example of a scaphe dial is one of 3 dials in the Botanical Gardens of Padua. There is also a cube dial and a cylinder dial (separate post). This first-ever public garden* was created in 1545, and the original layout has been preserved. This is not the space for a short wander round, but there’s plenty of interesting material online. It has been an important centre for scientific research since its inception and, unsurprisingly, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

*Pisa’s botanical garden was actually completed a year earlier but disqualified on a technicality that I haven’t pursued.

GSS Category: Scaphe Dial; Botanical Garden Sundial; Europe Dials

All photos: John Renner, with many thanks

WYLYE . WILTS . ST MARY – Scratch Dial (2)

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ST MARY . WYLYE . WILTS

GRADE II* † C13 origins; C15 expansion; 1846 rebuilding by Wyatt. Wonderful pulpit. Well positioned beside an excellent pub to quench congregational thirst after righteousness. An ideal peaceful country church, despite being just S of the hectic A303 raceway. 51.1389 / -1.9898 / SU008377

DIAL 1


I very recently featured the inverted dial on the nave wall, tucked away quite low down on E side of the buttress.

Almost immediately I was contacted by Lee Baines, pointing out that I’d missed a mass dial in poor condition (but at least right way up) with standard three radials in SW quadrant. By chance I was passing Wylye yesterday, and I am pleased to be able to correct the omission so soon.

DIAL 2

The dial is a good example of a less common feature. The joint between 2 stones acts as an emphasised noon line, with the gnomon hole in the mortar line above it. The mortar line doubles as a 6-to-6 line. There are 3 lines in LLQ, neither straight nor accurately leading to the gnomon hole. The deeper cut line corresponds approximates the Mass time Terce. The overall lack of finesse of this rustic dial suggests that it is rather earlier than Dial 1.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; many thanks to Lee Baines for pointing out my omission

FISHERTON DE LA MERE . WILTS . ST NICHOLAS – Scratch Dial

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ST NICHOLAS . FISHERTON de la MERE. WILTS

GV II* † C12 origins; C13 records; C15; restorations 1833 J Davis, 1861 W Hardwick; and 1912. Now redundant. Cast-iron plaque records 1833 rebuilding. Surprisingly large for a small community hidden away on the banks of the Wylye river (nb close to a very busy A303 intersection; check a map or you may miss the little side-road and could be going back and forth for some time. Close to Wylye. 51.146 / 51°8’45″N / -2 / 2°0’0″W  SU000385

DIAL

Part of the original dial stone was at some stage relocated and reused as a building block in a most unexpected place. You will find it N side, low down on the side of a buttress, facing W. In its working days, it must have been a fine marker of the passage of the day.

From the visible fragment one can tell that the dial was almost certainly cut over 2 (or more?) stones. The double circle – faintly seen RHS – gives an idea of the overall size.

Rotation of the stone 90º anticlockwise reveals well-defined XI – noon – I lines

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

CODFORD . WILTS . ST PETER – Scratch Dial

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ST PETER . CODFORD . WILTS

GV II* † C13, C15, 1863 restoration by T.H. Wyatt. PEV notes Very well preserved C9 Saxon cross shaft with fine carving… against north wall of chancel. Worth visiting close-by St Mary (no dial), an agreeable church. 7m SE of Warminster. 51.1586 / -2.0503 /  ST965399

DIAL

An enigma: the dial recorded for St Peter gives the details shown below. However at the position and height specified is a single hole drilled near the centre of the stone. There are no markings whatsoever that I could make out. I looked at similar locations on the S side without success.

Chancel, S wall, to R of priest door. Height 1.4m. Worn.
Dial (Norman?) with tides, with duodec., sometimes both. Mason-cut or roughly scratched

I realise this is a disappointing post. On balance I decided it would be worth writing up. This visit was part of a 3-day project with the Wylye Valley churches. I also failed to locate the dial at nearby Knook; and I didn’t get a full score for the multiple dials noted at Stockton (17) and Sutton Veny (9). There were a couple of new finds to even up the score. Not all older records are accurate; then again, neither am I… Any guidance with the dial(s) on this Church would be welcome.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

STEEPLE LANGFORD . WILTS . ALL SAINTS – MILLENNIUM SUNDIAL

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ALL SAINTS . STEEPLE LANGFORD . WILTS

GRADE I † C13 origins; C14, C15 development; extensive restoration 1873 (Carpenter). C12 font. 3 scratch dials (separate post). 10m NW of Salisbury. 51.1363 / -1.9493 / SU036374

DIAL

The dial is 10′ up on the SE corner of the nave. Gold lines on slate ground. Open gnomon. Numerals not gold. Date at top with scrolls all in Red. Uses XII and IV, with all numerals vertically arranged, and shows 6am to 6pm in half hours. Lines drawn from small semicircle at root. Full length half hour lines (BSS).

This is a fine MM dial and a pleasure to walk towards. Hopefully the gnomon can soon be pegged back into the upper hole, making the time of day easier to determine.

GSS Category: Vertical Dial; Millennium Dial; Dial Dates

All photos: Keith Salvesen

GREAT WISHFORD . WILTS . ST GILES – Circular Vertical Dial

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ST GILES . GREAT WISHFORD . WILTS

GRADE II* † C13 origins; C15 tower; C19 restorations esp by Wyatt, some work reflecting the older styles. PEV – with an eye for quirks – notes Manual fire engine said to be early C18. 4m N of Wilton. 51.1188 / -1.8863 / SU080355

VERTICAL DIAL

On a recent trip to the Wylye Valley to look at specific churches for scratch dials, I passed through Great Wishford. I stopped, not because I expected to find a scratch dial, but because I noticed an unusual circular dial on the E end – something like a satellite dish for receiving the sun’s rays. I hope someone will enjoy working out how the dial works in practice; or even whether, in its position and at that angle, it is accurate.

My amateur skills fall well short of understanding how the dial works in the technical sense. The position and angles of the dial and gnomon seem all wrong. The numbering, too. On a dull day I was fortunate to catch a moment when the sun cast a shadow.

GSS Category: Vertical Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

WYLYE . WILTS . ST MARY – Scratch Dial (1)

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ST MARY . WYLYE . WILTS

GRADE II* † C13 origins; C15 expansion; 1846 rebuilding by Wyatt. Well positioned next to an excellent pub for congregational thirst after righteousness. An ideal peaceful country church, despite being just S of the hectic A303 raceway. 51.1389 / -1.9898 / SU008377

Addendum: just after posting this, I was told of a dial I had missed (thanks, Lee). By coincidence we were driving past Wylye the next day. Separate post for Dial 2 HERE

DIAL

The dial is on the nave wall, tucked away quite low down on E side of the buttress where the tower joins the nave. It is upside down, suggesting that the stone was reused during building work – a plausible theory is that inversion indicated that a dial had outlived its original purpose.

REVERTED DIAL

Assuming a 180º turn, this is an afternoon dial, with the lines in the quadrant R of the noon line indicating the important part of the day for observance corresponding with the canonical hour None.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen