St Mary's Nonington
The parish church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, has been the centre of faith and worship for more than 700 years. Surviving remains indicate that Nonington church was built within two generations of the Norman Conquest of 1066 when the system of dividing bishoprics (dioceses) into parishes, each with a priest was rapidly developing. At first it consisted of a nave and smaller chancel only, occupying all but the eastern end of the present north aisle. Then the tower and a small, lean to, south aisle were added by the early 1200's. By 1300, this aisle had been rebuilt much larger and wider as the present nave, with a new east end and chancel.
A scratch dial was used by medieval parsons as a form of sundial to mark the times services. The Nonington dial is of the transitional type and dates from the 14th or 15th centuries, to mark the time it has twelve small holes in a semi-circle around a larger central hole. The dial is now built into the stone work of one of the chancel windows to the east side of the lancet window to the right of the porch. The hours of six, nine and noon are clearly indicated by dots or dotted crosses marking the hours of services or devotions of pre-Reformation Vicars of Nonington. There are several circles visible in the porch, these may have been Consecration Crosses. Erosion has unfortunately partially erased some of those features of the scratch dial, but much of it is still visible to-day.
The Cache
N51 13.ABC E001 13.DEF
1. Drain pipe left of porch. 4th digit of date, minus 2 = A
2. Tpr HS Jones ?? st Lancers. Add both digits = B
3. Private Edwin Causer ? th Buffs = C
4. Number of screws holding keyhole to south door? Answer + 1 = D
5. West side of tower. How many slats in upper window = E
6. Susanna Larkins died at what age? Second digit = F