![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/4c4ccfbd-2f07-4348-98ec-cbbc1af33fa2_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
ALCISTON CHURCH has no Dedication. That is quite unusual, inviting speculation and maybe inspiring research into the history. I didn’t get that far because this is a multiple scratch dial church, with 4 good examples to admire and write up. You can read my piece about them HERE
In the churchyard there was an object that attracted our attention. This eye-catching slender column had only recently been dug in, and was in pristine condition. Clearly it is a memorial, but no details were marked. The sides and the back are plain. The large hole at the top is lined with gold, which looks very good. As a whole, it is obviously designed with care and made with skill.
DIAL
The dial itself is pleasingly symmetrical, and the composition works very well. I think it is not necessarily intended to have a gnomon, though someone has chosen to improvise with a stick.
,
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dc24026f-3e42-42ba-8f3a-3914a1f3fa6b_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/d0b12ee9-891b-44d1-b35c-44806e5608bc_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dd37e8d9-1283-400c-8fcf-e492979d3ae1_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
However, because it faces roughly E rather than S, its ability to mark the passage of the day is limited. Also, the divisions of the lines would be cut differently. However, as a memorial stone, strict accuracy as a sundial may well not be a consideration anyway. It is a fine piece of work in a lovely setting.
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/de428567-2279-466f-af9b-34414c2e326e_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/8a130c76-29ec-4ec9-b744-609a066c0b1f_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
![](https://gaudiumsubsole.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/c17f7f4d-b846-49fb-aef7-bc54502eb10a_1_105_c.jpeg?w=1024)
GSS Category: Modern Dial; Vertical Dial; Column Dial; Memorial Dial
All photos: Keith Salvesen; thanks to John Foad BSS