St. Michael, Michaelstowe

Since the porch of this church faces about 20° east of south, the dial has been canted to achieve a true south aspect. The engraving is neat and clear but the date is set out in a rather odd way with one numeral in each corner. You might read it as 1684 (or even 1648) but it is in fact 1864. Another unusual feature is that the hour lines are prolonged to run between the numerals. Around the gnomon root are sprays of leaves which could be mistaken for antlers. There is no numeral for noon but it looks as though something may have been inlaid in the shallow depression there. The gnomon is a replacement but in the summer when leaves are on the trees it has little to do since the church is in a woodland setting. To the right of the porch is a mass-dial, something very rare in Cornwall: an early sundial originally meant to tell the priest of those days when he should say mass and other offices of the church. It would have had a horizontal gnomon and hence be very inaccurate.