Staffordshire Scratch Dial – GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN

KINGS BROMLEY . STAFFS . ALL SAINTS – Scratch Dials

Published on March 12, 2024March 13, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

All Saints Church . Kings Bromley . Staffs (Humphrey Bolton, Geo CC)

ALL SAINTS . KINGS BROMLEY . STAFFS

GRADE I † Late C11 nave, with remnants; C14 additions, C16 Perp W tower, C19 work. An attractive church in a pretty setting. 3 scratch dials are recorded. 5m N of Lichfield. 52.7507 / -1.8206 / SK122170

DIALS

Dial 1 and Dial 2 can be considered together, because Dial 2 is recorded as being superimposed on Dial 1. It is not uncommon for there to be some overlap between dials, but not to this extent. One might expect a second dial to be cut on a different stone so that it stands out as superseding the first. But perhaps it is the other way round – a rather basic dial over-cut by a more sophisticated one centered on the dial stone.

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DIAL 1

BSS regards this unusual dial highly. It is located on the buttress at E end of the nave. There are eroded remnants of two concentric circles RHS. Notes Worn. Important, poss. unique. Dial like conventional sundial. Double dial, see 2

The gnomon hole is in the centre of the dial stone, and is angled down. The confusion with Dial 2 makes it difficult to apportion the badly eroded lines

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DIAL 2

Dial 2 has an oblong gnomon hole just below the mortar line, slightly surprisingly because it prevents the mortar line from acting as the horizontal. It, too, is slanted downwards and it is hard to think how it could have held a peg, rod, or stick. In the confusion of the linear scratchings, I reckon 2 lines LHS come direct from the hole; and possibly 2 RHS.

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DIAL 3

Dial 3 is on the S wall of the Chancel, under the first window. BBS notes On the verge of destruction. The image in the records is quite old. I have added a B&W version that is a bit easier to read.

GSS Category: Scratch Dial; Superimposed dial

CREDITS: Erika Clarkson, Dials 1 & 2 (VG sideways shots); BBS record; header as noted

ALREWAS . STAFFS . ALL SAINTS – Scratch Dials

Published on February 6, 2022February 29, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

ALL SAINTS . ALREWAS . STAFFS

GRADE l † C12 origins, from C13 gradually expanded, reworked, and restored. Recent additional work. Large coursed and squared sandstone blocks BLB. OE Alorwæsse. Situated by R Trent, between Lichfield (NE) and Burton-on-Trent (SW). 2°44’05.3″N / 1°45’11.1″W / SK 16769 15267

ADDENDUM Feb 24: new images of Dial 3

DIALS

DIAL 1

Located on E side of S porch. A conspicuous dial with a large blocked style hole, eroded and damaged through the ages. Some general local repair. The porch was rebuilt in 1866 and the dial was evidently considered worth preserving as a feature. The B&W archive photo below shows the dial’s state in 1991. The deterioration since then is significant, with the fan of clear lines reduced to vestiges.

BSS dates the dial to C14 and notes Eroded, damaged. Important, possibly unique

Alrewas All Saints – Scratch dial 1991, B&W archive photo ‘Staffordshire Past Track’

DIAL 2

Located on S wall of the nave, R of 2nd Buttress E of door. This dial is also dated by BSS to C14. A simple early dial with lines marking the midday period, roughly 11 – 2 in clock terms. 4 clear lines and 3 very faint, with the noon line slightly longer. The slant-wise photo (as often) reveals more useful detail. I think the pocks are not related to the dial, but are the result of pitting of the sandstone over the centuries. BSS notes Various pocks, but scattered

Traces of a plausibly original medieval gnomon are extremely rare, but original style holes have sometimes been reused / enlarged / adapted for a contemporary gnomon during the life of a church. These were often metal rods. This dial must at some stage have had one and – to judge from the coloured residue – until relatively modern times.

DIAL 3

There is a 3rd and significant dial on the BSS Register for All Saints, also on S wall of the nave and W of easternmost buttress. This strange little dial is described as Unique: multiple pocks covering sector 135°-180°.

At some time the stone must have been rotated 90º, otherwise it makes little sense as a marker for the time of day. Corrected, it covers the period of roughly Terce to Sext in Mass terms. A morning dial.

All Saints . Alrewas . Staffs – scratch dial 3 rotated 90º

Erika Clarkson collected dials 1 an 2 and took very good photos (dial 3 is from the BSS record). She also photographed the dial at neighbouring WYCHNOR and you may like to use the link to see them and compare. The dial there, on different stone, is similar to dial 2 above in design.

ADDENDUM Feb 24: new images of Dial 3

Erika recently returned to All Saints and took a photograph of the whole dial stone:

GSS Category: Scratch Dials

All photos: Erika Clarkson, except header image – Peter Ralley; B&W image ‘Staffordshire Past Track’; Dial 3 BSS

WYCHNOR . STAFFS . ST LEONARD – Scratch Dial

Published on January 27, 2022February 7, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

WYCHNOR . STAFFS . ST LEONARD

GRADE II* † C12 origins, mainly C14, C17 work / expansion. A hamlet with a fine red sandstone church. Hwiccenofre in Saxon times, Wicenore in DB. Church details BLB. NE of Lichfield near Alrewas, close to R Trent. 52.742 / -1.7394 / SK176160

DIALS

St Leonard has 3 recorded scratch dials, one of which features here along with an arguable but doubtful dial. The other 2 official dials will be covered in a separate post. The neighbouring village, Alrewas, has a church (All Saints) also with 3 recorded dials. Two are featured HERE. The third will be featured in due course.

St Leonard . Wychnor . Staffs – Scratch Dial

Prominent on the easternmost buttress of the aisle with a sizeable style hole (a later enlargement of the original?). Cut on black stone and eroded. 4 (5?) broad lines cut in lower R quadrant; other possible traces. An afternoon dial – perhaps locally the most significant part of the canonical day, marking the Masses sext and none: the 6th (noon) and 9th hours.

BSS additionally notes: 2 pocks in lower R quadrant, & 2 in upper R quadrant at much larger radius. The archive image below shows (lower R quadrant) a terminal pock under the noon line (not uncommon) and another next to it (unusual?). 2 pocks are visible upper R, but whether related to the dial is uncertain.

St Leonard . Wychnor . Staffs – Scratch Dial (BSS archive)

PLAUSIBLE, DOUBTFUL, OR NOT A DIAL?

*St Leonard . Wychnor . Staffs – doubtful scratch dial*

Image 1 – the original – displays marks that resemble a relocated and inverted dial. Images 2 & 3 show a 180º rotation and close-up. It looks quite plausible, with apparent dial features including extended noon line, a feasible style hole, some pocks that may be part of the design. Also, the focus is on the lower R quadrant, perhaps reinforcing the ‘afternoon Mass’ suggestion above. But overall not quite right, and doubtful at best.

NOTE The Pilgrim Way Church Trail, 14 miles long, links six churches dated from Saxon to Victorian leading to Lichfield Cathedral following an an ancient path. As the excellent PWCT site explains: you can walk, cycle or drive the trail and the three booklets give clear instructions and helpful photographs

GSS Category: Scratch Dial

Photo credits: Erika Clarkson – dial images; Peter Ralley – header image of St Leonard’s; BSS archive