GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN

STANTON GLOS (2) – ST MICHAEL – SCRATCH DIAL and SUNDIAL

Published on January 27, 2021January 28, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS Saxon origins, Norman features, mainly C13 to C15

LISTING † GRADE 1

LINKED POST † STANTON 1 – VILLAGE CROSS SUNDIAL

LOCATION † STANTON is four miles north of Winchcombe, one of several attractive Cotswold villages in the immediate area. Many of the local churches feature scratch dials, Glos. as a whole being a hotspot. The Church of St Michael has, besides a scratch dial, a time-worn sundial over the porch. 52.0067 / -1.9013 / SP068342

DIALS † The scratch dial is on the right side of the fine projecting porch towards the edge, and easily visible as you approach. It looks as elementary a circle dial as one could imagine. The sundial is set high on the parapet above the doorway, seemingly old, definitely battered, and with a tilted gnomon.

*Stanton Glos. St Michael & All Angels . Scratch Dial*

STANTON: THE SUNDIAL

*Stanton Glos. St Michael & All Angels . Sundial*

NOTES † Apart from inclusion in TW‘s extensive list of Glos. dials, I have found no further information. Not referenced in BHO / BLB / HE. For interest: the VG Stanton website notes “several bench ends are deeply ringed by the dog-chains of the sheepdogs, brought by their masters to church” and that stone benches in the porch were for the infirm to sit on and lean against the wall: “the weakest go to the wall”.

LINKS † Tony Wood TW: Mass Dials in Gloucestershire LINK ; Stanton Village Church online LINK

GSS Category – Scratch Dial; Old Dial

PENDOMER – ST ROCH

Published on January 24, 2021January 25, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST ROCH (unique Anglican dedication) C14, earlier origins, records from 1297

LISTING † GRADE II*

LOCATION † A seemingly remote hamlet despite its proximity to Yeovil to NE. Reached down a long lane and set among wooded hills. A farming community with the feel of an earlier era. The church is behind the attractive manor house and approached by a private path 50.8910°N 2.6819°W ST 5224 1049

St Roch . Pendomer . Som. – Scratch Dial

DIAL † DEH (p.85) visited Pendomer during his tour of churches in June 1915. The combined types of dial he mentions do not include the double-dot circle (I haven’t seen one before). The marks are clear, the condition is good. The dial is located on the largest stone to the right of the doorway. For other visible marks, see below.

209. This dial is on the e. side of a blocked-up doorway on the s. side. It is 3 feet 11 inches above the ground, the noonline is 3 1/4 inches in length, the stylehole is 5/8 of an inch deep by 1/2 an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 12° w. Type 11, combining 10. June 16th, 1915.

OTHER MARKS † There are 2 distinct circles – not mentioned by DEH – to the left of the dial, overlapping each other and the dial. There’s a definite hint of a ‘daisy wheel’ in the larger circle, suggesting a Consecration Cross, but it is hard to see why two overlapping crosses would be cut; or why they would be superimposed on the dial or vice versa.

*St Roch . Pendomer . Som. – Scratch Dial* [Consecration Cross(es)?]

NOTES † The only other St Roch dedication is the Catholic Church, Glasgow. The font is thought to date back to the original C13 church. The list of incumbents is unbroken from Johannis Personis 1297 (I wonder if ‘Personis’ indicates that his second name, if he had one, was not known – so, ‘John Person’). Dial listed by TWC; not mentioned in online resources (HE, BLB, BHO).

Pendomer the hamlet is mentioned in the DOMESDAY BOOK. The link will take you to the wonderful Open Domesday Book online, an authoritative and fascinating resource. The DB Pendomer entry is featured and translated in the Pendomer links recommended below.

St Roch has an excellent Church Booklet available at the church or online HERE and an informative Pendomer website covering the history of the village and St Roch HERE

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Consecration Cross

VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT: DOUBLE DIAL

Published on January 22, 2021January 25, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT is a small medieval walled town in Catalan country. It is watched over by Fort Liberia, one of VAUBAN‘s massive defensive constructions in this historically strategic area. The town is charming, and additionally famous for being the start of the ‘Train Jaune’, a picturesque narrow-gauge railway that climbs high into the Pyrénées. The amazing altitude rise is from 1250 ft at Villefranche to 5000 ft at the track’s summit just above the village of Mont Louis (which has its own Vauban fort)

The sundial above is high up on a house in the church square, next to the Mairie with its Catalan flag. It doesn’t exactly draw the eye and would be very easy to miss. Its overall appearance is endearingly wonky.

TWO DIALS IN ONE

The main dial is etched and painted on cement, with roman numerals that mark hours, halves and quarters. The long gnomon is attached beneath a small sculpted head from which sun rays radiate – a simple representation of a solar deity. Above the head can be seen numbers, of which only 11 and 8 can be made out with any certainty. Possibly, it is a date: the dial (which is not ancient) is otherwise undated and it is very hard to guess its age. I can find no explanation for the initials DS (top left, Gothic font) and ER (top right, normal font).

The small dial-within-a-dial with graduated radials shows the hours only, with arabic numerals. The bent gnomon points straight down. I am unsure of its purpose as a supplementary – and rather overshadowed – dial on the same plane, but the overall effect is pleasing.

INSCRIPTION

The words “COM MES SOL FA MES BE ESCRIC” are Catalan and mean roughly “When it is sunny, I write (show the time) well”. This rather charming inscription was apparently added in around 2000 by the village pastor.

Credit: for information, Michel Lalos, who has compiled a comprehensive illustrated record of the sundials of the Pyrénées-Orientales.

HERMITAGE DORSET – ST MARY

Published on January 19, 2021March 16, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST MARY C14; C17 restoration; further work c. 1800

LISTING † Grade II*

LOCATION † 4 miles N. of Cerne Abbas (S. of Sherborne) 50.8611 / -2.4991 / ST649069

A very small, simple church (‘free chapel‘) tucked away under a hillside in a discreet corner of this hamlet. Approached along the edge of the drive of the former Rectory. Supposed hermetic origin. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d miss it – the bell-cote hardly shows above the trees.

DIAL † Low down on the SE quoin of the nave, well-preserved and readily visible. It seems complex considering the simplicity of the building. I’d be interested in an analysis of the dial / possible date – the varied radials and (as I assume) the ‘dropped dot’ at 12 (best seen in #6)

NOTES † Plenty of interest here despite (or because of) comparative remoteness. Medieval (C14?) N. door. C17 font and floor slabs. Graffiti (initials) on W. buttress, including tablets dated 1682 (date of restoration?) & 1799 (date of work inc. addition of bell-cote?). The large village green is perfect for a village cricket square. Listed RCHM & BHO; few mentions elsewhere.

Hermitage . Dorset . St Mary . Scratch Dial

Hermitage . Dorset . *St Mary .* Dial Diagram (BSS)

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

GLANVILLES WOOTTON (1) – ST MARY THE VIRGIN

Published on January 18, 2021April 21, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

Glanvilles Wootton . Dorset . St Mary the Virgin

SEE REVISED VERSION OF THIS POST HERE LINK – APRIL 2021

FOLLOWING A VISIT IN APRIL SUNSHINE RATHER THAN JANUARY DRIZZLE, ENJOY THE DETAIL OF THIS UNUSUAL DIAL IN ALL ITS GLORY

DEDICATION † ST MARY THE VIRGIN – from mid C14, gradual expansion, C18 work

LISTING † Grade II*

LOCATION † South of Sherborne towards Cerne Abbas. Approached by lanes more than roads. 50.872 / -2.4558 / 2°27’20″W / ST68008

Straggling small village. Records from C12. In 1985 the Parish name was changed from Wootton Glanville (I haven’t explored the reason). A peaceful feel to the community.

DIAL † On W. buttress of S. wall of S. Chapel, with iron gnomon in square style hole. Dot dial with varied sizes (see close up #5). Suspicion of faint radials, but on a dark day it was hard to tell then or indeed from the photos – see diagram. BSS Gnomon is iron, 130mm long, rectangular cross section. Modern

NOTES † noted in RCHM / BHO but not BLB / HE / TWC

GSS Category – Scratch Dial

CREWKERNE – ST BARTHOLOMEW

Published on January 14, 2021January 18, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST BARTHOLOMEW C15, Saxon / Norman origins

LISTING † GRADE I

LOCATION † Close to the centre of this pleasant country town, prominent but not dominating. Classy Perpendicular 50.885 / -2.798 / ST439098

DIAL † From his survey of this area in June 1915, DEH noted:

120. This dial is on the first buttress from the e. end of the chancel. It is 4 feet 5 inches above the ground, the noon-line is 3 inches in length, the stylehole is 3\ inches in depth by half of an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 10° e. Type 3. June 8th, 1915.

The lines on this dial are distinct in sunlight, but difficult to see in ordinary light. There is an enlarged hole at the end of what is probably the mass line.

NOTES † DEH was right about the visibility of the details – and 100 years has not improved it. Excellent gargoyles and hunky punks (some lewd). Adjacent Undials.

Crewkerne - St Bartholomew Scratch Dial (Keith Salvesen) — St Batholomew . Crewkerne . Som. Buttress Scratch Dial

*St Batholomew . Crewkerne . Som. Buttress Scratch Dial* Gallery

*St Batholomew . Crewkerne . Som. Buttress Scratch Dial*

*St Batholomew . Crewkerne . Som.* Hunky Punks

GSS Category – Scratch Dial

STANTON GLOS (1) – VILLAGE CROSS SUNDIAL

Published on January 11, 2021January 19, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

Village Cross with Sundial – Stanton Glos

STANTON is a most attractive Cotswold village four miles north of Winchcombe, with several other equally agreeable villages nearby – Stanway for example. Many of the local churches feature scratch dials – this area (and Glos. in general) being a hotspot. I will cover some of these in due course.

The Church of St Michael has – besides a scratch dial – a sundial over the porch. In addition, Stanton has a fine sundial in the main street, mounted on the village cross. The cross is a Grade II listed Scheduled Monument, with Calvary steps that are medieval and formed the base of a Wayside cross. The shaft is later, and the dial, orb and cross perhaps later still. The sundial, dated to C17, is just one part of the harmonious whole. It’s a fine dial but there are obvious reservations about the gnomon and its fixing…

LOCATION 52.0067 / -1.9013 / SP068342

GSS Category – Old Dial

HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE – ST MARY

Published on January 9, 2021January 20, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST MARY – 1123 (on earlier site)

LISTING † II*

LOCATION † 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

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.

NOTES † Not mentioned in BLB, HE. Not 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?

NOTADIAL † A plausible dial location quite low on arch of the W. door; apparent style hole but no detectable marks

GSS Category – Scratch Dial

WORMINGTON . GLOS – ST KATHERINE

Published on January 6, 2021November 17, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST KATHERINE (also ST CATHERINE*)

LISTING † Grade ll*

LOCATION † Midway between Winchcombe & Evesham, Glos 52.0263 / -1.9447 / SP038364

*see BLB, HE

A small pretty village and an attractive simple church with a bellcote dating from C15 with earlier C12 foundations. Restoration c. 1800. Of note is a Saxon Cross / Crucifix dated to C9, originally discovered elsewhere in the village and perhaps from Winchcombe Abbey. Also, the ‘Savage Brass’, early C17. Several other churches nearby also have scratch dials; further afield also.

DIAL † Not readily visible. Located anachronistically on a corner under a modern lantern and next to a plastic drainpipe. It is quite large, with a pair of full circles and a variety of dots, some of which seem unlikely to relate to the dial.

St Katherine . Wormington . Glos. Double circle scratch dial

NOTES † BLB mentions ‘Five C12 corbels below the bell turret including bears’ heads and a pair of human faces’. I missed these…

SANDFORD ORCAS – ST NICHOLAS

Published on January 3, 2021January 6, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST NICHOLAS – early C14 / C15

LISTING † Grade 1

LOCATION † Sandford Orcas, Dorset 50.9876 / -2.5394 / ST622210

A village sunk in a valley just 4 miles north of Sherborne yet seemingly isolated in place and time by long narrow lanes. The church is on higher ground, by a fine manor house.

DIAL † Well-marked scratch dial on the E. side of the attractively simple porch, angled slightly into the arch. Since the porch is a C15 addition, the dial (which seems quite early) may perhaps have been relocated – it sits slightly awkwardly.

BLB LINK † HE LINK for Church (no mention of this dial)

NOTES † Very few references to this dial. Not mentioned in standard sources eg RCHM, or (as far as I have seen) online. However, included in Cole’s list for Dorset (p.10).

GSS Category – Scratch Dial