Cradley Church, An Historical Tour

The sundial

Originally the base of a Medieval churchyard cross, this was moved across the churchyard and made into a sundial to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. The pillar was inverted and the inscription round the dial reads: “Tyme tryeth troth” (Time tests truth). The inscription plate at the base covers a votive recess, in which visitors would have left gifts; these are typical of Herefordshire crosses. One of the base stones carries the name of Arthur Hopkinson, a quarry owner who lived just below the churchyard, and who provided the stones. He was a long-standing friend of the then Rector.

The sundial

The sundial map