GAUDIUM SUB SOLE: Scratch Dials & Sundials Medieval to Modern

RIMPTON – ST MARY (2) † Dom Horne Dials 3 & 4

Published on February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

RIMPTON – ST MARY (2) † DOM HORNE DIALS 3 & 4

PART 2

PART 1 LINK featured Dials 1 & 2 on Rimpton church – two of the four dials identified and recorded by Dom Ethelbert Horne (DH) of Downside Abbey, the Father of modern dialling so to speak. In 1913 – 15 he made several trips around Somerset collecting dials, measuring and recording them in great detail. He went on to produce his pioneering book about dials, published in 1917.

LOCATION † Between Sherborne & Marston Magna, on the Som. / Dorset boundary. S 50.9948 / -2.5565 / ST610218

DOM ETHELBERT HORNE

DH (1852 – 1952) was a Benedictine monk at Downside Abbey. The Archives state that he was “a noted archaeologist, antiquary and folklorist… and published works on subjects as diverse as holy wells, mistletoe, scratch dials and St Aldhelm”. Between 1913 – 15 he made several tours around Somerset in search of scratch dials. In 1917, he published his delightfully written book ‘Primitive Sun Dials or Scratch Dials’ containing several chapters about dials, their construction and their purpose. These were followed by a detailed analysis, by district, of 224 dials that he located. He divided these into 12 main types, for each of which there are photographs, including a Rimpton dial (see Part 1). DH’s 4 Rimpton dials are numbers 212 – 215 in the Yeovil District list.

DIALS † This article covers DH dials 3 & 4 of the multiple dials on this church. I have visited the church twice and found other dials & less convincing candidates. These will be written up separately in Part 3.

DH DIAL 3

214. (3) This dial is on the w. side of the window to w. of priest’s door. It is 5 feet above the ground, the noon line is 5 1/4 inches in length, the style hole 5/8 of an inch in depth by 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 15°e. Type 3.

NOTE † a. the trace of a circle, upper left and b. the small dial hanging down from the mortar line above. More on the additional dials on Rimpton church in Part 3.

LOCATION CONUNDRUM

The dial location given above presents a puzzle. Put simply, an error may have crept at some stage between DH finding and noting the dial shown here; transcribing his notes to a more formal record; preparing a draft for publication; or in the printing.

There are 4 prominent and obvious dials. Dials 1, 2 and 4 are unproblematic. However in 2 visits, I haven’t been able to locate Dial 3 (or any dial) as described and in that location. The remaining ‘obvious’ dial is on the W. side of the window to W. of the porch – the dial shown here (although it is plainly not ‘5 feet above the ground’). The converse is that the dial shown here, on the W. side of the window from dial 2 (see marked image) was missed by DH.

DH DIAL 4

215. (4) This dial is w. of the priest’s door. It is 4 feet 9 inches above the ground, the noon-line is 4 inches in length, the style hole is filled up, and the aspect is s.by15°e. Type5b.

NOTES † Comments on the question of Dial 3 would be welcome. There an interesting and informative Parish website that is well-worth visiting LINK.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

RIMPTON – ST MARY (1) † Dom Horne Dials 1 & 2

Published on February 4, 2021February 8, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST MARY – early C13, alterations c.1500, N transept added C19.

LISTING † Grade 1

LOCATION † Between Sherborne & Marston Magna, on the Som. / Dorset boundary. Secluded, approached by narrow roads. Historical significance. A small village with plenty of listed buildings to enjoy. Church opposite Manor House at the end of a lane (a good walk starts from there) 50.9948 / -2.5565 / ST610218

DOM ETHELBERT HORNE

DH (1852 – 1952) was a Benedictine monk at Downside Abbey. The Archives state that he was “a noted archaeologist, antiquary and folklorist… and published works on subjects as diverse as holy wells, mistletoe, scratch dials and St Aldhelm”. Between 1913 – 15 he made several tours around Somerset in search of scratch dials. In 1917, he published his delightfully written book ‘Primitive Sun Dials or Scratch Dials’ containing several chapters about dials, their construction and their purpose. These were followed by a detailed analysis, by district, of 224 dials that he located. He divided these into 12 main types, for each of which there are photographs. The Rimpton dials are numbers 212 – 215 in Yeovil District.

MULTIPLE DIALS

DIALS † Part 1 concerns two of the four dials recorded in detail by Dom Ethelbert Horne (DH) during his dial tour of Som. in May 1915. He devised a method of categorising dials by appearance, and ascribed a ‘Type’ to each, as shown in the entries below. Part 2 covers DH dials 3 & 4. Having visited the church twice recently I have found 3 or 4 more dials and a couple of less convincing candidates. These will be written up separately in Part 3.

DH DIAL 1

St Mary . Rimpton . Som. Scratch Dial DH1 . West end

212. (1) This dial is at the w. end of the church on s. quoin of the window under the tower. It is 4 feet 6 1/2 inches above the ground, the noon-line is about 2 inches in length, the style-hole, which is very shallow, is 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and the aspect is due w. Type 3. [DH further notes: Dial No. 1 has been moved from its original place and used as a quoin for the w. window. The mortar round the stone is of different date from that of the adjoining stones.

DH DIAL 2

St Mary . Rimpton . Som. Scratch Dial DH2 . W. of S. Porch

213. (2) This dial is on the e. side of the first window from the w.end. It is 3 feet 8 1/4 inches above the ground, the noon- line is 6 1/2 inches in length, the style hole is 1 inch deep by 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and the aspect is s. by 15° e. Type 8.

St Mary . Rimpton . Som. Dial DH2 . Illustration from Dom Horne’s book 1917

NOTES † Strangely, no dials – let alone a collection of them – are referenced in BLB BHO or HE. There is however an interesting and informative Parish website LINK.

*St Mary . Rimpton . Som. Locations of Scratch Dial DH2 and (see next post) DH4*

OTHER MARKS

St Mary . Rimpton . Probable Apotropaic / Ritual Protection Marks . 1. Above Priest’s Door 2. S. Porch

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

CHARMINSTER – ST MARY

Published on February 3, 2021February 4, 2021 by Rolling Harbour1 Comment

DEDICATION † ST MARY Saxon origins, C11 core, C14 – 15 enlarged, tower added 1500

LISTING † Grade 1

LOCATION † A most interesting village a couple of miles N of Dorchester. The fine church stands close to the River Cerne as it rushes to join the nearby River Frome. The mark of the Trenchards is strongly evident here. Worth spending time in both church and village – I recommend reading the Pevsner entry or BLB / HE / BHO online before you do so. 50.733 / -2.4559 / SY679926

St Mary . Charminster . Dorset . Scratch Dial 1

DIALS † Two dials. Dial 1 is on the parapet of S. porch rhs. Dial 2 is on E .quoin of S. aisle, relocated and (not unusually) inverted. BLB mentions ‘sundials’ in passing. BHO describes it as ‘much worn’, but some features are very clearly visible. I’ve added a reverted image for comparison, which improves the readability.

*St Mary . Charminster . Dorset . Scratch Dial* 2 (as relocated and inverted)

*St Mary . Charminster . Dorset . Scratch Dial 2 (*reverted for comparison)

*St Mary . Charminster . Dorset . Scratch Dial*s 1 & 2

NOTES † Besides theses two dials, St Mary’s (fittingly) has a Marian mark VV (Virgo Virginum / Virgin of Virgins) in the porch, with other graffiti. This is one form of medieval RITUAL PROTECTION MARK [link in due course] to ward off evil. The terminal dots are often found (as also with small crosses with the same function). There is also an Undial (lower right) that I momentarily thought might be a (very) crude actual dial cut in the softer Ham stone, with a style hole and 2 coarsely curved radials.

Marian Mark (Ritual Protection Mark) St Mary Charminster Dorset; Undial with 2 curved radials

GSS Category: Scratch Dial, Marian Mark

CHAVOT-COURCOURT. ÉPERNAY. FRANCE . CADRAN DE MASSE MÉDIÉVALE

Published on January 29, 2021January 29, 2021 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

Eglise de Chavot-Courcourt . Epernay . Marne . Scratch Dial

LOCATION This handsome church is set scenically in the middle of extensive vineyards on all sides, a few miles south-east of Épernay. It is a notable distance from the nearest house. The church dates from 1202. The romanesque tower, nave, transept and apse were built later, around 1560. 49°00′16″N 3°55′50″E

DIAL The dial – which from a distance looks rustic – is in a prominent position carved into the stone lintel above the side-door, a very clear indicator of the progress of the day for the locals working in the fields. It is in excellent condition, perhaps thanks to its high location and to the clean air. The radials are spaced with some precision. A narrow double circle is supplemented by a less clear or eroded wider circle. There are several dots in plausible places; conversely, few if any dots on the rest of the lintel. My amateur guess is that the relative sophistication of the dial suggests that it was cut later than the date of the doorway. Any views on this are welcome – there’s a comment box below.

*Eglise de Chavot-Courcourt . Epernay . Marne . Scratch Dial* – close-up

*Eglise de Chavot-Courcourt . Epernay . Marne . Scratch Dial* Gallery

GSS Category – Scratch Dial

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 Harbour2 Comments

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.