IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Alton Pancras, DORCHESTER, DT2 7RW

This attractive cottage was the village post office until its closure in 1977. There had been a post office in the village since 1886, although it was named plain Alton until October 1908. A reminder of the former function of the cottage survives in the form of a 'Ludlow' postbox towards the far end - see Image for a close-up.

This old postbox is in the wall of Image and remains in use as a letterbox for the cottage's incoming mail. It is a 'Ludlow' box, a design named after its designer and intended specifically for use at sub-post offices, often incorporated within a window or, as here, wall. It would originally have had an enamel plate on the large central rectangle. See Image for a similar example still in use.

Grade II listed former cottage and shop, and post office. Dated 1826.

Ordnance Survey benchmark on cottage in Alton Pancras, described on database at http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm69121.

Looking downstream. The Piddle, a chalk stream, flows into Poole Harbour near Wareham.

View westward.

At this point near the top of the Piddle valley, the river is actually quite a small stream. The source of the river is said to be close to the village church. In this picture looking south the river is actually running along the northing grid line so that on the right of the river is ST6902 and on the left ST7002

The font dates from the 15th century. Its cover reminds one of the days when fonts were held locked to prevent superstitious people stealing the holy water and at the edge of its lead lining there are still the remains of its old hinge and lock.

It was a papal edict in the 9th century that was responsible for the proliferation of weathercocks on churches. This edict required every Church in Christendom to be mounted by a cockerel. This symbol was to recall Peter's betrayal of Christ (LUKE 22:34) "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me". Although only the symbol of the cockerel was required by the edict, the motif, it seems, was quickly wedded with the weathervane. By the 13th century the word for weathercock (gallum) and weathervane (ventrologium) had become interchangeable. Interestingly, early weathercocks did not include cardinal letters, as Christian churches always lay east to west.