Helen Cresswell – Moondial – SIGNED First Edition 1987

A first edition, first printing of Moondial by Helen Cresswell, published by Faber and Faber, London in association with the National Trust, in 1987. A fine copy SIGNED by the author at Belton House in 1988, with slight toning to the text block. In a near fine unclipped wrapper, with bumping to the extremities and a closed tear to the lower knuckle of rear flap fold. Illustrated by Patrick Lynch. Exceptionally scarce signed, located and dated in this fashion

Moondial by Helen Cresswell is a witty, eerie children’s fantasy blending ghost story and time slip. When Minty and her family move into an old house, a mysterious moondial allows her to travel into the past and befriend a lonely Victorian girl. Cresswell balances humour with melancholy, exploring friendship, neglect and resilience. The novel is sharply observant about adults and children alike, offering emotional depth beneath its playful, suspenseful surface. It remains a modern classic fantasy.

Belton House in Lincolnshire provided both the inspiration and setting for Moondial. Its celebrated eighteenth-century sundial becomes the magical portal through which Minty travels into the past to help two troubled children, Tom and Sarah. Cresswell subsequently adapted her novel for the BBC’s six-part 1988 television serial, which was filmed extensively at Belton House and in its gardens.