Sutton Veny St Leonard Scratch Dial – GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN

ST LEONARD . SUTTON VENY . WILTS

GRADE II ✣ C12, C13, C16. Originally cruciform with crossing tower. Chancel arch blocked and west part of church partly dismantled 1868, gradual deterioration. Chancel used as a mortuary. Declared redundant 1970; now in the care of CCT. A surprising and rather poignant place to visit, all well worth examining. Note the bier. 3m SE of Warminster. 51.1728 / -2.1323 / ST908415

DIALS

St Leonard is a multi-dial church with 9 dials recorded by BSS (1994), of which some details are scant. Four are described only as ‘gnomon hole only’ / ‘cannot be classified’. Featured below are 8 designs that I have concluded are dials, or might be (if only doubtful) in a couple of cases.

DIAL 1

Dials 1 and 2 are together LHS of the Priest’s door

DIAL 2

DIAL 3

Hint of a circle, esp. ULQ

DIAL 4

A hint of a circle, esp ULQ

DIAL 5

Dial stone presumed to have been re-sited and rotated 90º

DIAL 6

A remarkable dial within a square, with 2 large holes at bottom that appear to represent noon. It’s almost certainly unique. There’s mention of a Norman dial: perhaps this is it. There’s an apotropaic feel to it.

DIAL 7

Nearly excluded from consideration. However the small holes are accurately on a circumference, and there’s the possibility of a small gnomon hole under the lichen. Borerline.

Probably not a dial but looks a bit more promising when rotated 90º. The pocks are (roughly) evenly spaced and there is a slight curve. No evident gnomon hole. Maybe simply a drilled design bored by a bored sacristan.