Tag: Medieval Dial

KENILWORTH . ABBEY BARN . WARKS – Rare Barn Scratch Dial

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Erika Clarkson

ABBEY BARN . KENILWORTH . WARKS

Kenilworth Castle has a long and intriguing history, with royal, civil and military significance over C7 centuries or so. There is an excellent Wiki entry HERE . Anyone who learnt history at any level will be transported back to the classroom. Simon de Montfort C13; the insulting gift of tennis balls from the French to Henry V; Lady Jane Grey; Civil War(s); slighting. The entry is erudite yet clear and concise.

Erika Clarkson

HE Historic Print Archive

In the grounds close to the C14 gatehouse is a small 2-storey building known as the Barn, now thought unlikely to have been built as, or used as, a barn. The general view seems also to be that it had no monastic function. There were 2 latrines, which makes me wonder if it might have been some sort of lodging house for low-level family, or for visitors with a servant or two. The barn now serves as the Kenilworth Abbey Museum & Heritage Centre.

For present purposes, the barn’s significance is the scratch dial LHS on the front of the building. It is relatively rare for a dial to be cut on a secular building. Where found, it is most likely to be on a barn (Bradford-on-Avon has one on its famous tithe barn).

Erika Clarkson

DIAL

The dial is within a double circle. It has suffered from both erosion and damage – it has indeed been in the wars. There appears to be a complete set of 24 lines spaced fairly equally at 15º to form a complete circle of radials. Unusually I think, each line is matched to a small terminal pock on the ridge between the 2 circles. Those at 3, 4, and 5 have double pocks, perhaps an indication of the most important part of the day for observance. It corresponds with the canonical mid-afternoon hour NONE. The lines are also deeper cut (and thus less eroded), a common form of emphasis. It’s difficult to say whether the other more random pocks on the dial face were intended as part of it.

The gnomon hole is clearly not as it was originally. I expect there was a conventional central hole, (as the curve LHS hints) and at some stage something wedge-shaped was a clumsy substitute or replacement; or perhaps sword tips were sharpened there.

Motacilla . WIKI . OS / CC

The dial is difficult to date. Various features suggest a later date than medieval. The full 24 hour ‘clock’; the reasonably accurate c15º divisions and double circle; the decorative use of the little pocks. Overall a degree of sophistication compared with earlier dials. My uneducated amateur guess is late C15 / early C16.

One mystery is why a dial was cut onto the barn at all – why did it need one? Perhaps my ‘occasional lodging’ theory has a place here – to assist outlying guests to comply with Castle timings for Mass, feasting, or jousting.

The building has been liberally decorated with musket shot (cf All Saints Alton Priors, below), most plausibly during the Civil War, in which the Castle played a significant part. For building mark / symbols / graffiti enthusiasts, there are quite a few masons’ marks to collect.

All Saints . Alton Priors . Wilts – Musket damage

GSS CATEGORY: Scratch Dial; Scratch Dial on Barn; Scratch Dial on Secular Building

CREDITS: Erika Clarkson (dial detection, images); Motacilla (image OS CC); HE print archive; Kenilworth History and Archaeology Society; Warwickshire World Article by George Evans-Hulme

BOYTON . WILTS . ST MARY THE VIRGIN – Scratch Dials

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ST MARY THE VIRGIN . BOYTON . WILTS

GRADE I ✣ Origins pre-date 1159 building; some C12 features; S chapel c1280. Mainly late C13 to C15; 1860 restoration by Wyatt. Fine Giffard Chapel. Described 1850 (Hoare) as one of the most interesting parish churches in the Vale of Wily [Wylye], and its architecture has been very little altered since the death of Bishop Giffard in 1301. W window described by PEV as a tour-de-force. Painted pews. Turkeys feature in the church decoration – for why, see below. 4m NW of Wylye. 51.1553 / -2.0722 /  ST950395

DIAL 1

The dial is prominent on the lower right corner of the transept window. It is cut into the attractive red stone. At some time it was inverted, along with the stone above it. It’s an assertive dial, unlikely to be missed. There are 9 lines, with the noon having a pock close to the gnomon hole, then extending onto the stone below. A reverted image is shown below.

REVERTED DIAL

DIAL 2

BSS records 2 other scratch dials. Examining the separate but very similar entries for these 2 dials, it seems near-certain that they are in fact one and the same. The notes for one includes worn, error, omission, query. Report date uncertain. They differ as to whether there is a large gnomon hole or none at all; and whether there may be a circle. As it happens, I could only find one plausible candidate in the given location, so I will leave it at that.

The dial is difficult to interpret, not least because it is so eroded. The larger image below hints at a noon line, with perhaps a trace of a line at XI and on the pm horizontal. There is a rough curve LRQ but no certainty that it was ever part of a circle. I doubt that the 3 shallow circular dents relate to the dial. A simple dial, then, but of use (in that location) to those passing after daybreak.

St Mary . Boyton . Wilts – Hypocrite Stone in the aisle

SIDE NOTE William Strickland, builder of Boyon Hall, was said to have brought the first wild turkey to Britain from America in the late 16th century. As a result, there are carved and painted turkeys all over the church; most notable is the lectern, shaped like a turkey instead of the traditional eagle. (David Ross – Britain Express BE)

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; ack. David Ross

SOUTH NEWTON . WILTS . ST ANDREW – Scratch Dial(s)

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ST ANDREW . SOUTH NEWTON . WILTS

GRADE II ✣ C12 traces (BHO); then C13 on; C15 tower; Wyatt rebuilding 1860s. A few early features remain. An interesting, well-kept building and churchyard. 6m NW of Salisbury via Wilton. 51.1079 / -1.8758 / SU087342

DIALS

Two scratch dials are recorded with descriptions, with a third mentioned in tentative terms (BSS). When I visited, the only dial I found didn’t match the descriptions nor was it in any location mentioned. There were a few quite plausible gnomon holes but none had any additional dial-ish features, not even eroded traces. Clearly I need to return and try harder next time I’m in the area.

DIAL

A very basic dial with the gnomon hole in the mortar line. Two clear lines either side of noon, possible terminal pocks (if so, perhaps later additions). LLQ there’s a faint trace of a third line.

The dark blue circle in image 1 below marks the dial above; the pale blue circle marks image 2. Image 3 is one of several examples that, apart from holes, have no visible dial characteristics.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

STOCKLINCH . SOM . ST MARY MAGDALEN – Vertical Dial

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ST MARY MAGDALEN . STOCKLINCH . SOMERSET

GRADE I ✣ Late C13, records from 1334. A charming small church, with its 3 bells hung on wheels. A plaque lists 19 men who returned safely from WW1; it is a ‘Doubly Thankful’ village with no casualties in WW2 either. See also neighbouring STOCKLINCH OTTERSEY, a closely linked church. Close to Barrington Court NT. 50.9508 / -2.8797 / ST383171

✣

DIAL

The dial is perched on the apex of the squat porch. It is square, significantly canted, and with ‘shoulders’ upon which rests a ball finial. Given its exposed position, the dial is in good condition. BSS dates it to 1612. There is a clear-cut semicircle with a full complement of lines, and with pocks marking the half hours.

CANTING

GNOMON ANGLES


INSCRIBED MOTTO

The words WATCH AND PRAY are inscribed above the dial face. Erosion and lichen have made it hard to see. Below the dial are the words REDEEME THE TIMES, with the final S fitted in above the line. The numerals – damaged LHS – are Arabic.

HEYTESBURY . WILTS . ST PETER & ST PAUL – Scratch Dial(s?) & Church Marks

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GRADE I † Early Church recorded at Hestrebe DB. C12 origin as collegiate church; continuing development to C16; mid-C19 restoration (Butterfield). C13 work of particular note. One of the excellent churches to be found in the Wylye valley between Steeple Langford and Sutton Veny. 51.1821 / -2.1086 / ST925425

DIAL

The dial is on the SE face of the angled buttress at E end (by the green tank). It is a fine example of a dial on which all the lines have terminal pocks. At some time it was inverted, and I have shown it reverted below. I cannot find any record of it, BSS or elsewhere.

REVERSION

This dial is primarily a morning dial, with lines marking (in clock terms) the 5 hours from 8 to noon. The deeper lines marking 9 & 10 correspond to the morning Mass time Terce. Possibly, the fainter line LRQ indicates None, another significant time during the day’s observations. In all there are 9 visible lines with terminal pocks during daytime, and a hint of a line above the horizontal in URQ. The vertical ‘midnight’ groove above the gnomon hole can be discounted as part of the dial, I think. It is certainly out of keeping with the carefully thought overall design. Also, it doesn’t reach the gnomon hole.

PLAUSIBLE DIAL?

I noticed this patterned stone and photographed it as I walked past. I would very much like it to be a ‘pock-only’ dial. There is certainly a hole close to the centre of the stone, with a pattern of small holes that look crudely drilled, approximately forming a perimeter. Probably I am overthinking this.

CHURCH MARKS

Here is a selection of church marks – masons’ marks, consecration cross; ‘pilgrim’ crosses; graffiti; a small dial-like design that merits further investigation.

GRAFFITI INCLUDING RITUAL PROTECTION SYMBOLS

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Church Marks; Consecration Cross; Masons’ marks; Pilgrim Cross; Graffiti

All photos: Keith Salvesen

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

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

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

CHITTERNE OLD CHURCH (Chapel of St Mary) . WILTS – Scratch Dial

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CHAPEL OF ST MARY (CHITTERNE OLD CHURCH) . WILTS

GRADE II* † St Mary recorded by at least 1319, date of the first known vicar. Chancel built c.1450; survived demolition of the rest of the church; used as a mortuary chapel. NB this is not Wyatt’s fine flint and limestone church of 1863, All Saints, in the centre of the village. You will have to seek out this tiny single cell churchlet – with its impressively large churchyard – via a narrow path behind a dejected-looking pub. 51.1943 /  -2.0163 / ST989438-

DIAL

St Mary has a single dial R of first window. It would be easy to overlook – unusually for a scratch dial it is 2.5m high. Centred in dial stone, with 9 lines encircled in a double ring.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen