Tag: Dorset Churches

THORNCOMBE . DORSET – St Mary

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Keith Salvesen / Rolling Harbour

ST MARY . THORNCOMBE . DORSET

GRADE II ✣ Original dedication 1239; rebuilt 1867 perp. Dial re-sited. ‘The best brasses in Dorset’ (Pev.): full length, of Sir Thomas and Dame Joan Brook. A large church for a small village. Interesting (and at times somewhat lurid) history (see BLB). 6 miles SE of Chard. 50.8263 / 50°49’34″N .  -2.8873 / 2°53’14″W . ST375033

LOCATION

During the rebuild it looks as if care was taken to re-site the dial more or less intact. However, an obscure place was chosen, low down on N wall of the aisle, semi-hidden by a buttress. The dial is weathered and faint – even with the field notes of GLP, it took me a while to find it.

DIAL

The dial has a near-complete circumference line (damaged at the top) and 4 radials, of which only one is readily visible. Its 90° reorientation and its secluded position renders it useless for its purpose.

Rotating a B&W image of the dial-stone 90° clockwise gives a sense of how – in its original position – it would have acted as a marker for the progress of the day, observance times etc. In its current location it serves merely as a curiosity for the completest dial-chaser.

Keith Salvesen / Rolling Harbour

GSS Category: Relocated dial; Rotated dial 90°; North-facing dial

Credits: Gordon Le Pard (GLP) for his exhaustive research of the scratch dials of Dorset

WINTERBORNE STICKLAND . DORSET . ST MARY: 3 Scratch Dials

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St Mary . Winterborne Stickland . Dorset

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ST MARY . WINTERBORNE STICKLAND . DORSET

GRADE 1 ✣ C13 origins; Tower ± 1600; considerable restoration C18. Scratch Dials 3; Graffiti: C17 & 18 initials & dates on responds of tower arch. 5m S of Blandford. 50.8409 / -2.2363 / ST834046

See separate entry DOUBLE-FACET DIAL ABOVE PORCH

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SCRATCH DIALS

DIAL 1

SE corner of the Chancel. 8 lines with extended noon line. A morning dial, cut in or near LLQ.

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DIAL 2

SE corner of nave buttress. Worn and at first sight just a gnomon hole near the centre of the stone. On closer examination and despite the lichen, a number of lines can be detected (GLP suggests 7).

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DIAL 3

SE corner of nave buttress, immediately above Dial 2 but on a larger and different stone type. Very degraded / eroded, but two downward lines are just visible.

NOTE: GLP, in his comprehensive survey of Dorset scratch dials, considers all 3 dials to be C13

GSS Category: Scratch Dials; Mass Dials; Medieval Sundials; Dorset Scratch Dials

All photos Keith Salvesen; Ref. Gordon Le Pard

WINTERBORNE STICKLAND . DORSET . ST MARY: DOUBLE-FACED VERTICAL DIAL

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ST MARY . WINTERBORNE STICKLAND . DORSET

GRADE 1 ✣ C13 origins; Tower ± 1600; considerable restoration C18. A charming country church, seemingly plain but with much to justify its listing. Tomb chamber. 2 (perhaps 3) scratch dials, written up separately. Graffiti: C17 & 18 initials & dates on responds of tower arch. 5m S of Blandford. Close-by St Andrew’s at W/B Houghton makes a pleasant short visit. 50.8409 / -2.2363 / ST834046

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SUNDIAL

A fine double-faced dial on the S. porch gable, angled SE and SW. Both faces match in design, with identical scrolled iron gnomons. BHO dates to C18th. BSS mentions Roman numerals, but I couldn’t find any trace even with close-up photos.

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SW FACE

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SE FACE

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Geograph image from c2010 for comparison of condition of stone and lichen coverage

GSS Category: Vertical Sundial; Double-faced Sundial; Porch Gable Sundial

All photos: Keith Salvesen except last, Geograph 2010

WINTERBOURNE STEEPLETON . DORSET . ST MICHAEL – Scratch Dials (revisited)

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ST MICHAEL . WINTERBOURNE STEEPLETON . DORSET

GRADE I † A fine early church in a lovely setting. C11 quoins to nave; C12 nave rebuilt; C14 3-stage W tower, porch; C15 chancel. Later alterations, restorations. Just W of Dorchester, yet seeming miles away in its peaceful valley. Visit Winterbourne Monkton while you are there (2 perhaps 3 dials). 50.7067 /  -2.5266 / SY629898

DIALS

Two dials are recorded. I last visited this church more than 2 years ago, in early evening sunshine but with shadows on the church. I have recently been back in better light to re-photograph the main dial; and to check for another rudimentary dial noted on the S buttress of the tower in a 1997 survey. I didn’t find it on my first visit.

DIAL 1

Dial 1 is located on a SW quoin stone of the nave. When examined in the 1990’s it was noted to be ‘behind a drainpipe’, which is no longer the case. By strange coincidence, when I revisited, the rest of the drainpipes were being repaired and repainted.

This is a straightforward 4-line morning dial with a pleasingly casual approach to straight lines. The two deeper incised lines suggest that late morning was the significant time of the day for observance.

DIAL 2

Dial 2 is so simple that I cannot claim to have discovered it this time round. It was recorded as being on S buttress of the tower, with 1 line a mere 45mm long, a small gnomon hole, and a pock LLQ . It was noted in 1997 as ‘very faint’. Although Dial 1 is mentioned in several places (eg BHO), I have found no additional reference to this tiny time marker. So for the second time I failed to find it, even in sunlight. However, a drawing was made and is all I can offer.

Do see the Saxon statue mentioned in the notice below (there is a similar one in Bradford on Avon), and indeed spend some time inside this interesting church.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Eroded Dial

All photos Keith Salvesen; diagrams BSS

WIMBORNE MINSTER . DORSET . ST CUTHBERGA – PILLAR DIAL

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Ethan Doyle White . Wiki. CC/OS

ST CUTHBERGA . WIMBORNE MINSTER . DORSET

The origins of the Minster date back to the C8. The building seen today dates from early C12 with development during subsequent centuries. Leaving aside the merits of the splendid building, the impressively large stone block on the S side is unmissable. The plinth alone is 6′ high; S face is 4′ wide; E & W faces are 3′ wide. N face has an inscribed tablet only.

DIAL DATES

The images featured below give a good idea of each face, gnomon, and relative aspects, so I won’t go into more detail. However there is a conundrum about dates. There was at least one relocation of the dial, and areas of restoration / repair are evident. The inscription on N face is This ancient sun-dial was removed from the gable of the South transept at its restoration 1891 and was erected here 1894 George E Richards [and] Charles H Gush Churchwardens.

As seen today, the date 1676 is given top left of the south face on new stone. There is no date in the corresponding position on the right side. However in T G W Henslow’s delightful Ye Sundial Booke (1st ed 1914), his charming drawing shows the date 1732 in the top right of the south face with no date on the left side. And more confusingly, in the Wills’s cigarette card sundial series (1928, see below), both dates are shown.

SOUTH

SOUTH WEST

WEST

NORTH WEST

NORTH

Malc1005 Tripadvisor

EAST

SOUTH EAST

Ye Sundial Booke . T G W Henslow

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MINSTER

WILLS’S CIGARETTE CARD SUNDIAL SERIES 1928

FRY’S CHOCOLATE CARD SUNDIAL SERIES

SPETISBURY . DORSET . ST JOHN THE BAPTIST – TWO SCRATCH DIALS (?)

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Spetisbury Church as drawn by Thomas Rackett for the 2nd edition of Hutchings’ History of Dorset

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST . SPETISBURY . DORSET

GRADE 1 ✣ Late C12 / early C13 origins; west tower late C15 / early C16. Major mid C19 restorations from 1858 by T H Wyatt, and later works. 3m SE of Blandford Forum. 50.8258 / -2.13 / ST909029

TWO PROXIMATE DIAL-LIKE DESIGNS

The two incised stones are located either side of the drainpipe on S wall of the chancel. Both have 8 segments (as with a Saxon / Tide Dial). A gnomon hole is conspicuously absent from both. There’s no trace of filling. There are one or two pocks on each, but random and with no specific relation to the overall designs.

GLP in his comprehensive survey of Dorset church scratch dials concluded that the dials “…are just graffiti of unknown date”. He explains that he has included these near-matching designs since otherwise “they might be mistaken for genuine dials”.

Apotropaic symbols? These don’t conform to any mainstream style of protection mark. And they are not in a location that Evil would naturally choose to gain entry.

My own theory is that these 2 designs were scratched on adjacent dark stones during the lengthy C19 restoration period. Perhaps there was a small competition between 2 apprentice masons engaged on the work, or bored by it.

DIAL 1

The cruder of the two, with bent lines and an awkwardly gouged curving ‘noon line’.

DIAL 2

More carefully designed and executed than Dial 1, and with the hint of circle round it.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Church Graffiti circular pattern; False scratch dials

All photos: Keith Salvesen; Rackett print OS

CANFORD MAGNA . DORSET . Vertical Dial

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CANFORD MAGNA CHURCH . DORSET

VERTICAL DIAL

For the Canford Scratch Dial see HERE

GRADE I ❖ Saxon origins as cruciform chapel. Tower added c1180. Expansion C13, C14; C15 additions; C19 alterations. No dedication. A very fine and interesting church, the late Saxon work being of major importance HE. Without any doubt one of the most interesting churches in Dorset PEV. 50.7889 /  -1.956 / SZ031988

DIAL

A fine dial above the S chapel in fair condition, rather attractively decorated with lichen. The dial is canted to face S, and shows the hours and half-hours from 6am to 6pm in Roman numerals. There seems to be no record of its date, but I will try to find out.

The inscription (‘motto’) begins I PASS… (?), but it’s hard to make out more. I will add it in due course when I have the Motto Bible to hand.

Although this is a Parish Church, it lies within the grounds of Canford School. There are some unsurprising visiting restrictions. If you have an interest in early churches, you will want to spend some time investigating the interior and working out the gradual development. See PEV DORSET p171 and ff.

GSS Category: Vertical Dial; Vertical Dial on Church

All photos: Keith Salvesen

CANFORD MAGNA . DORSET . Scratch Dial

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CANFORD MAGNA CHURCH . DORSET

GRADE I ❖ Saxon origins as cruciform chapel. Tower added c1180. Expansion C13, C14; C15 additions; C19 alterations. No dedication. A very fine and interesting church, the late Saxon work being of major importance HE. Without any doubt one of the most interesting churches in Dorset PEV. 50.7889 /  -1.956 / SZ031988

See Canford’s Vertical Dial HERE

DIAL

The dial is within the porch, RHS of the door and partially obscured by a noticeboard. The original BSS record (2006) notes a filled gnomon hole with 8 radials, encircled [see diagram]. Four irregular moss-filled lines are clearly visible; a couple more are just detectable. The noticeboard stymies the sort of hopeful slantwise photo behind an obstruction that can occasionally be revealing.

BSS Diagram

Although this is a Parish Church, it lies within the grounds of Canford School. There are some unsurprising visiting restrictions. If you have an interest in early churches, you will want to spend some time investigating the interior and working out the gradual development. See PEV DORSET p171 and ff.

There is quite a lot of graffiti, much of it old but with later pupil initials etc. As a bonus, there is a good vertical dial on the apex at the E end, which will be written up separately.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Scratch Dial within porch; Vertical Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

SYMONDSBURY . DORSET . ST JOHN – Scratch Dial

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ST JOHN . SYMONDSBURY . DORSET

GRADE I ❖ C14, rebuilt from earlier church (BHO); C15 S porch, C17 chancel rebuilt. Wagon-type nave roof. Gargoyles. An attractive and well-kept church. Also recommended: visit the Symondsbury Estate complex. 2m W of Bridport. 50.7396 / -2.7879 /  SY445936


DIAL

The dial is on E. jamb of the porch entrance. The gnomon hole is in the mortar line, from which 10 lines radiate in a semi-circle. The noon line is terminates in a pock. RHS, is considerably damaged / erosion. Noted by GLP as a very accurate dial.

GSS Category: Scratch Dail; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

NETHERBURY . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dial

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ST MARY . NETHERBURY . DORSET

GRADE I ☩ C14 nave and aisles; C14/15 chancel; C15 west tower. S porch rebuilt in 1848 (see below). A handsome church with pleasing proportions. 6m N of Bridport, 9m S of Crewkerne. 50.7923 / -2.7528 / SY470994

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DIAL

The dial dates to C15 and is on W jamb of SW window of S aisle. Allowing for damage, it is a (near) semi-circle with 11 lines of varying length. 8 of them have holes, some terminal and some on the longer lines. GLP notes that the dial is extremely accurately drawn. (GLP) The dial is now shaded by the C19 porch that replaced a smaller one.

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GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; analysis GLP