Scratch Dial Dorset – Page 2 – GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN

MILTON ABBAS . DORSET – Two Scratch Dials

Published on September 8, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

MILTON ABBAS . DORSET

Milton Abbey, more properly called ‘The Abbey Church of St Mary, St Sansom* and St Branwalader**, is a former Benedictine monastery founded in c10. The present building dates from the c14 and c15. The Abbey, with a post-reformation country house attached where the monastic buildings used to be, is now a school.

DIALS

The Abbey has two dials, both on the S face of the SE turret at the end of S transept. Dial 1 – the most intriguing – is some 3m high. Dial 2 is 1m below it, and lichen makes reading it very difficult. Both dials were recorded in 2000 as C14. Dial 1 is unusual, not least because of its condition after C7s.

DIAL 1

Dial 1 is inverted, clearly repositioned. Within a double semicircle are 13 lines radiating from a large filled gnomon hole. Within the 2 rings, each line terminates in a black letter Roman numeral. BSS records these as (with the dial reverted) Il V VIll IX X – space – II IlI IIII V VI Noon is unmarked but extends slightly beyond the outer circle.

DIAL 2

Dial 2, now significantly obscured by lichen, has 20 lines, again with Roman numerals. Only numerals XI I Il III IV and V were recorded as visible in the 2000 survey. Now, only III can be easily seen. The filled gnomon hole is notably L of centre of the dial stone which is significantly cut off LHS, indicating relocation at some time in its history. Possibly there were other numerals at the end of the truncated lines.

*St Sansom: C6 French Bishop and (later) hermit. A Scilly Isle is named after him. An excellent example of a wandering Celtic monk (ODS). Some relics acquired by King Athelstan for Milton.

**St Branwalader: C6 monk. In early C10 King Athelstan obtained his relics and gave them to the monastery at Milton, Dorset. It was not the whole body but either an arm or his head (ODS)

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Abbey Dial; Roman Numeral Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; sources include BBS, GLP; and Oxford Book of Saints

IWERNE MINSTER . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dial

Published on August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY . IWERNE MINSTER . DORSET

GRADE I ✣ C12 origins & remnants; C13 – C15 enlargement; C19 restorations (Wyatt). One of only 3 Dorset (early) churches with spires, with Trent and Winterbourne Steepleton (the Dorset village of Steeple only has a tower). The spire was originally much taller but has twice been reduced in height. The most important and interesting church in its neighbourhood PEV. If you want to dig deeper there are plenty of excellent resources online eg HE, BLB, BHO. Midway between Shaftsbury and Blandford. 50.9295 / -2.1887 / ST868144

DIAL

The dial is located on the SW buttress of the tower, about 2m high. There are 12 lines, 6 of which extend beyond the circumference. Some have terminal pocks; the noon line has 2. GLP notes that the dial is quite accurately cut, but is at an angle and of little use in its present position. Probably it was relocated during later work.

GLP dates it to C14, and notes quite sternly that, whereas RCHM suggests perhaps C16, it gives no reason for this opinion.

GRAFFITO ON THE STONE BENCH INSIDE THE PORCH: W.D. 1773

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Dorset Church with Spire

All photos: Keith Salvesen; Thanks as always to Gordon le Pard for Dorset dials

HILTON . DORSET . ALL SAINTS – Vertical Dial (1690); Date Stones (1569); Scratch Dial

Published on August 7, 2023August 26, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

GRADE I † C12 origins (?); C15 inc tower & porch; C16 rebuilding / additions. Material from nearby Milton Abbey incorporated. C19 restorations. In proximity, a fine early vertical sundial (1690); 2 date stones (1569); scratch dial (probable?). Several excellent gargoyles N side. 2m W of Milton Abbey. 50.8259 / 2.3114 / ST781029.

VERTICAL DIAL

A fine dial in very good condition for its age. The gnomon is an amusing extension of the sun’s nose. I took the design LL corner to be an hour-glass, which would be appropriate. In close-up I wonder if it is a religious symbol; and if the design LR corner is a square and compass.

DATE STONES

THE BAGPIPER

SCRATCH DIAL

The dial design of a double circle with a hole in the centre is far from unusual. No lines, no pocks; just a stick needed to mark the passage of the day. This type is generally included in the Scratch / Mass Dial category of church marks; and I go along with that. However, having recently researched Cyffe Pypard and Fovant (both Wilts) which have several dials including this design, I am beginning wonder. It’s hard to think of a reason why a dial-cutter would not to add lines, pocks or both to a device specifically made to mark the passage of the day. But what if these are apotropaic symbols cut into the walls of the church to catch evil: ‘Demon Traps’ from which, once entered, encircled evil could never escape?

GSS Categories: Vertical Sundial; Old Sundial; Date Stones; Gargoyles / Hunky Punks; Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

BINCOMBE . DORSET . HOLY TRINITY – Scratch Dial

Published on July 22, 2023July 22, 2023 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

GRADE I † Late 12th-century origins (parts of nave & chancel evident). Mainly C15 with later additions; S porch added C17 using old stonework; extensive restoration 1865. C13 font; Purdue bell 1658. Off the beaten track in a valley midway between Dorchester & Weymouth. Hardy-esque. 50.6599 / -2.445 / SY686845

Bincombe Church 1802 (Gentleman’s Magazine)

DIAL

Bincombe is a hidden village in the folds of the hills inland from the pleasures of Weymouth. It’s a mere 20m from our house yet until I visited a church nearby, it wasn’t on my radar at all. I must have passed close by it hundreds of times.

The dial is located on the E jamb of the SW chancel window, about 2m from ground level . GLP describes 4 short lines, with the noon indicator being the gap between two of them. He notes that the dial must have been moved to its position for reuse as part of the window jamb, truncating 2 lines LHS. Finally, he concludes that, the window being C15, the dial predates 1400.

The dial, small and chunky, is in the top L corner of the dial stone. I haven’t seen one quite like it. The gnomon hole is surprisingly deep for such a little dial. In situ (and in the photos), there are ghosts of 2 or 3 lines LRQ angling towards the hole (but not converging?) Probably best disregarded.

CHURCH MARKS

Holy Trinity has a fine selection of crosses / protection marks drilled into the porch entrance. Here are a couple of examples.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos, Keith Salvesen; engraving from Wiki

BROADMAYNE . DORSET . ST MARTIN – 3 Scratch Dials

Published on December 19, 2022December 20, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

GRADE II* † C13 chancel; C14 nave and lower tower with porch (top stage added later); extensive mid-C19 restoration and rebuilding by J Hicks (Thomas Hardy is said to have drawn the plans while apprenticed.) Portland Stone. 5m SE of Dorchester. 50.6788 / -2.3857 / SY728866

DIALS

There are 3 dials. 2 are adjacent on E side of the porch which is (unusually) set in the tower. Dial 1 is eroded but visible. Dial 2 is vestigial and easily overlooked (eg by BHO / RCHM). Dial 3 is relocated well out of sight on the NE quoin of the church, a place it could never have been originally. It is much the clearest cut of the 3.

DIAL 1

Dial 1 is visible as one walks up the path from the gate, but the details remain unclear even close to. The BSS record shows 12 lines within a partial circle, the lower part cut off at the edge of the dial stone, suggesting it may have been relocated during rebuilding. I’ve visited St Martin twice, in sunlight and in early evening, and frustratingly I haven’t been able to make out the complete dial shown below. The colour of the stone is a factor. RHS is quite eroded; or perhaps LHS was more deeply incised because it marked the most signifiant time of day for observance.

DIAL 2

As indicated above, dial 2 is unrewarding. Records suggest 4 lines and 2 circles, though I couldn’t see the latter. The images below have been recoloured to bring out the details, such as they are…

DIAL 3

Dial 3 is a small and simple one, with 4 lines. The noon line is emphasised; and the Mass line (Tierce) has a cross.

*St Martin . Broadmayne . Dorset – Scratch Dial* 3

UNRECORDED DIAL?

The fact that the hole in this buttress stone is centered made me look at it more closely. In 3D rather than in the photo, it is a plausible dial with 2 quite long lines, being the noon line and ‘1.00pm’. With a stick in the hole, it would have been perfectly serviceable for marking the sun’s progress from morning to afternoon. There is a similar dial at MUDFORD Somerset, where the 2 lines are at 11 and 1, cut so that the noon line is centered between them.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial

All photos Keith Salvesen; Diagrams BSS

NETHER COMPTON . DORSET . ST NICHOLAS – 3 Scratch Dials

Published on October 9, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST NICHOLAS . NETHER COMPTON . DORSET

GRADE I † C13 nave, chancel, S porch inc outer archway. C15 alterations & additions – chapel, tower. Restored 1885. 2 Purdue bells. 4m W of Sherborne and E of Yeovil. 50.9532 / -2.5732 / ST598172

DIALS

There are 3 dials beside the porch doorway, 1 on the left side and 2 on the right. The intricacies of the dials are clearer from the BSS archive photos and diagrams compared with my photos, taken in bright sunlight and not picking up the details.

DIAL 1

South Porch L of doorway. 13 lines, with the noon line extended, and 23 pocks. The diagram suggests 1, perhaps 2, mid-morning Mass markers. GLP points out that the lines are below the horizontal whereas almost all the pocks are above it; and that the design is accurate.

DIAL 2

South porch R of doorway. Despite the extended ‘noon line’ (as it appears), the dial must in fact be upside down. If not, it can’t have had any practical use. 10 lines with very variable angles and 12 pocks. GLP describes it as crudely cut as a tide / octaval dial. The white item is a stone, which was in place when I originally saw the dial, and still 18m later. I left it in peace.

DIAL 3

A semi-circular dial with 13 lines, almost all of which end pocks. There is a complete inner circle round the gnomon hole, with semi-circle outside it. GLP found the dial to be accurately cut.

CONSECRATION CROSSES

On chancel—(a) on external S. wall, W. of S. window; on N. chapel—(b) on N. external wall, W. of N.E. window, reset; on nave—(c) on external N. wall, between N.E. window and doorway; (d) on E. splay of N. doorway; (e and f) on E. jamb of S. doorway, two crosses; (g) on E. splay of S. doorway; (h) on E. splay of S.W. window; on W. face of tower— (i) against N. buttress; all formy crosses in circles except second on jamb of S. doorway, mediæval (BLB)

*St Nicholas . Nether Compton . Dorset –* Consecration Cross

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Consecration Cross

All photos Keith Salvesen + BSS archive (also diagrams)

YETMINSTER . DORSET . ST ANDREW – 2 Scratch Dials

Published on September 9, 2022October 1, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

DEDICATION † ST ANDREW . Parish church. Late C13, consecrated 1312, completed C15, restoration from C19. A ‘major church’ PEV. A good place to find out more is the RCHM entry ST ANDREW YETMINSTER. Carefully compiled church and Parish Archive. 10 Consecration Crosses from medieval to (relatively) modern. An important very early (1683) clock, now in restoration (see below).

LISTING † Grade 1

LOCATION † 5 miles SW of Sherborne, / SE of Yeovil. Noteworthy village easily accessed. Fine vernacular Ham stone buildings give the feel of an earlier era. Many listed buildings. Village also highly regarded by PEV. Station in village (not, as elsewhere locally, a wayside halt). Etiminstre in DB 50.8939 / -2.578 / ST594106

DIALS † Two dials on the buttress E. of S door, both C15

DIAL 1

A semicircle dial with 13 lines (including the horizontal). BSS notes no circumferential circle. The noon line is extended, and 4 others end slightly beyond the circumference . GLP describes it as very neat and accurately marked. Both dials have been thoroughly examined – clips of the original records from the excellent church archive are below.

DIAL 2

An unusual rather drooping design, explained below. Gnomon hole in the mortar line. The dial is split across 2 stones by a vertical mortar line. There are 11 lines, if one includes the mortar joint as the vertical / noon line. The lines RHS are badly eroded.

GLP noted that this dial is of particular interest as the angle of the lines suggest that it may be an early Scientific Dial. Comparing the lines with the correct angles for the latitude only one of the lines is more than 4º out. A further even more technical conclusion is that to function this dial would have needed a gnomon at an angle of 39º to the wall. This evidences an advance from earlier dials where the gnomon was simply inserted into its hole straight rather than angled.

*St Andrew . Yetminster . Dorset – Scratch Dial 2*

CLOCK † The historic faceless pendulum clock (1683) is being restored at the moment. I am writing the day after the Queen’s death, and by coincidence the clock has a specific significance: The Clock carillon plays the National Anthem at 3-hourly intervals. This dates from 1897 when it was installed by local benefactors for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and is very rare, and possibly unique. For the Platinum Jubilee of HM The Queen this year, the carillon was operated manually to ring out as part of our Jubilee Celebrations.

NOTES † 10 ‘formy’ Consecration Crosses in sunk round panels on external wall-faces BHO (locations specified); C10 Saxon cross shaft fragment; faceless clock of interest; good hunky punks. Links with Robert Boyle (chemistry, founder of the school) and Benjamin Jesty (smallpox); quite a lot of external graffiti – initials, dates and some Marian (‘witch’) marks

*St Andrew . Yetminster . Dorset – Hunky Punks*

*St Andrew . Yetminster . Dorset – Consecration Crosses*

St Andrew . Yetminster . Dorset – Graffiti and a Marian (ritual protection) mark. The 3 initialled and dated marks are likely to be cut by masons who did work on the church in the 1830s (cf Melbury Osmond)

*St Andrew Yetminster – the detailed BSS records for the scratch dials*

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

WINFRITH NEWBURGH . DORSET . ST CHRISTOPHER – 6 Scratch Dials

Published on July 6, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST CHRISTOPHER . WINFRITH NEWBURGH . DORSET

GRADE II* † C12 origins, chancel added C13, nave & tower C15. Considerable C19 restoration & rebuilding. Quite a large church, with its gradual development evident. 6 confusing scratch dials. SE of Dorchester, W of Wareham. 50.6585 / -2.277 / SY805843

DIALS

The scratch dials are in a group arranged around the S. door of the chancel. There are 6 in all (BHO records 4) but on the very dark local ironstone none is very clear. BSS / GLP dates them to C15, and their diagrams below are very helpful in marking the locations and configurations. I should say at once that I couldn’t definitively identify dial 3 (at / near the apex of the doorway’s arch) at the time nor in the photos I took see below.

GLP concluded that none of the dials was in its original position. 1, 3, 6 are inverted; the stones of 2, 4, 5 were shaped after the dials were cut, truncating them. Perhaps the entire doorway was originally built using reshaped stones from elsewhere on the church; or perhaps an existing doorway was later rebuilt or reshaped.

DIAL 1

Dial 1 is on L side of the doorway. Inverted, with 5 lines pointing upwards. Style hole area heavily filled (possible repair of damage?). GLP suggests the lines are not convergent so very inaccurate.

DIAL 2

Dial 2 is above dial 1, on the lowest stone of the doorway arch. Parts of the dial have been cut off at the edges. There are 12 lines, 5 pocks and a cement-filled style hole. Of all the dials, it is more or less correctly orientated, with a noon line emphasised by depth and length.

DIAL 3

This is my candidate for dial 3. GLP describes it as very worn and inverted. Apart from the very clear unfilled style hole, he describes 2 trace lines above the dial. I couldn’t detect the 2 lines. The BSS diagram (see below) indicates dial 3 as being on the apex stone, but I found no evidence of a dial there.

DIAL 4

Dial 4 is upper R side of the arch. There are 9 lines radiating from a plugged style hole, one (perhaps 3) with terminal pocks. The dial has clearly been rotated 90º clockwise. Sited correctly, the deeper incised lines L side would become midday lines. GLP considers it clearly and accurately marked (given the correct position).

DIAL 5

Dial 5 is below dial 4 on a larger stone. It is very degraded and it isn’t easy to read. BSS notes 3 lines, and a pock possibly marking noon. My impression was of 2 additional trace lines. This dial is recorded as repositioned, set at a very oblique angle, and could never have been used in its present position.

DIAL 6

Dial 6 is lower down on the R jamb approx level with dial 1. Again, it is inverted, with 6 distinct lines radiating upwards. One is marked with a cross, probably the Mass line.

Dials 2 -5 B&W: the hole top L presumably marks 3.. No clues on the apex stone

BSS DIAGRAMS OF THE 6 INDIVIDUAL DIALS

NOTE: because of the dark ironstone I have brightened the images to make them clearer

GSS CATEGORY: Scratch Dial; Mass Dial; Medieval Sundial

All photos Keith Salvesen; diagrams and research material GLP / BSS

TARRANT GUNVILLE . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch / Transitional Dial

Published on June 15, 2022 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

ST MARY . TARRANT GUNVILLE . DORSET

GRADE II* † Mainly C14, tower C15. C12 vestiges of earlier church. General C19 restorations including by T H Wyatt. A slightly unharmonious impression reflects the changes. Roughly midway between Shaftsbury to NW & Blandford to SW. 50.9135 / -2.1078 / ST925126

DIAL

A single dial on S porch E of doorway. GLP calls it a remarkable dial, somewhat damaged. Its perplexing design has provoked several theories. The most straightforward is that it is in fact a transitional dial rather than a true scratch dial. BHO notes: Scratch Dial: on S. wall of porch, with black-letter numerals and stump of iron gnomon, early 16th century, which is probably meant generically rather than specifically. GLP, with his compendious knowledge of Dorset dials, dates this one much earlier, late C14.

St Mary . Tarrant Gunville . Dorset – porch

The dial stone is far larger than any other porch stone and seems out of place. The first impression is of a large dial doubly encircled but with the upper half damaged and eroded over the centuries. GLP suggests remnants of large dial with all hour lines marked. The fact that the gnomon hole – still with the stub of an iron rod – is almost exactly at the centre of the dial stone supports the theory of an originally complete circular dial rather than partial arcs. In the upper L quadrant there are hints of double circumference lines continuing upwards.

St Mary . Tarrant Gunville . Dorset – scratch / transitional dial

LINES & POCKS

The details of the dial are intriguing. There are 10 lines leading to numerals carved in blackletter / Gothic form. Legible numbers run from 5am to noon, then there are 2 lines with eroded numerals. There is a plausible very faint near-horizontal line RHS. Hours 9, 10, 11, & 12 are marked with a cross rather than the roman numeral X (see diagram below).

There are also 5 pocks. 4 decorate the noon line. 1 is halfway down the 11 line which is nearly vertical, indicating (I think) that the dial was cut to take account of the orientation of the wall.

GNOMON

Unusually, the dial has the stump of an iron gnomon. It seems unlikely to be original and looks more square than round (cf GLANVILLES WOOTTON , also in Dorset). Whether original or not, there is no way of telling how (if at all) it was angled.

GLP suggests that the dial may be an interesting transitional dial and notes that it would probably not have been accurate. One theory is that this was a horizontal dial set vertically; or with a horizontal design used for this vertical dial. He concludes that it is as much a decorative feature as a real timekeeper. My query is whether C14 dials were sophisticated enough to be making the transition from basic scratch to accurate scientific dials.

St Mary . Tarrant Gunville . Scratch / Transitional Dial

GSS Category: scratch dial; transitional dial; vertical dial

All photos Keith Salvesen; dial diagram BSS / GLP

SIXPENNY HANDLEY . DORSET . ST MARY – Scratch Dial(s)

Published on June 5, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ST MARY . SIXPENNY HANDLEY . DORSET

GRADE II* † Chancel & porch early C14; some C15 & C18 work; remainder of church rebuilt 1877 (Crickmay). For more details (my visit having been curtailed) see St Mary Sixpenny Handley BHO. The village is halfway between Salisbury and Blandford. 50.9552 / -2.0077 / ST995173

DIALS

There are two dials recorded for St Mary. I visited just after a funeral service had begun, and I paused for a circumspect and respectful moment at the chancel end of the church, where the dial featured here is situated. I took a couple of photos of the dial before stealing away. The other dial (not noted by GLP) is on the W side of the porch, and I will have to check it another time. Hence the header image is an archive postcard showing the church and its handsome lych gate instead of a photo of the church; and there is a diagram only of the porch dial.

DIAL 1

This large C14 dial looks out of place and seems clearly to have been relocated. The hamstone on which it is cut doesn’t match any others in the vicinity, and the dial is awkwardly angled with the presumed extended noon line some 15º from the vertical. An upper segment appears to be missing from the visible semicircle. There isn’t a definite gnomon hole and the 9 lines seem to radiate from a higher point than the edge of the stone, further suggesting a re-siting. 4 lines extend beyond the circumference. There is a trace of a cross at the end on the apparent ‘noon’ line and GLP notes that it may in fact be a Mass line rather a noon line. Overall he found the dial to be accurately cut.

DIAL 2

Dial 2 is on the W side of the S porch, and the BSS record suggests it is not easy to make out. There is an arc of 7 pocks RHS, from noon on. Not having seen the dial, I am not sure how much else is now visible. I’ll have to time my next visit to the area with more care, and expand this article accordingly.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

All photos Keith Salvesen; Diagrams BSS & GLP