Sundials

Butterton church sundial and memorial brass from Tideswell

Butterton Church sundial restored

The Butterton church sundial has a new brass gnomon on the old dial plate. After many years outdoors the brass plate has turned green in colour. The Gothic script on the back of the plate shows it came from the Pursglove memorial in Tideswell church.

A few years ago we restored the sundial at St Bartholomew’s Church in the lovely Staffordshire village of Butterton. We found that the brass dial plate had ancient engraving in Gothic script on the underside, which was a mystery. The writing looked like part of a memorial brass, and we now know it came from Tideswell church in Derbyshire. Continue reading

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Sundial stones in a Scottish garden — the restoration

Ancient sundial pillar after restoration

A falling tree broke off the top of this pillar in Storm Arwen. The two sundial stones fell down to the ground. The pillar now has a new top section matched to the original stone. The sundial sections are clean and restored.

In November 2021, Storm Arwen caused serious damage with very strong winds especially in eastern Scotland. On one country estate an oak tree crashed onto this historic sundial in the family garden. It smashed the ancient pillar supporting the sundial stones. The family wanted to see the sundial fully restored. Continue reading

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Sundial stones found in a Scottish garden — the cruciform stone

Cruciform sundial stone

The cruciform stone has four concave sides leaving four curving arms between them, thus creating the cross shape. This particular stone has a small concave end on each curving arm [not visible in the photo]. So the single stone has eight dials, on four large concave sides and four small ones. [Note: the shadow in this photo is from indoor lighting not from the sun.]

The cruciform type of sundial stone is a clever idea. During the day, as the sun moves round, each of the dials in turn will show a shadow and indicate the time. The straight dial edges cast the shadows. A cruciform stone can be on a lectern sundial but this one appears unique. Continue reading

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Sundial stones discovered in a Scottish garden — the stone globe

Globe terminator stone sundial

The globe sundial will show light and dark sides of the stone in sunshine. The terminator line separates the two and the hour numbers show the time.

This stone globe was initially puzzling. It has a band of hour numerals and looks like a type of sundial. It is actually a globe terminator dial. The hour band lies parallel to earth’s equator, and the line between light and dark shadow in sunshine is the terminator. The puzzle was why the globe had a second sundial  stone fixed onto it, since removed in the workshop, as a later post will explain. Continue reading

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A design of azimuth sundial to go in a garden

Azimuth sundial on 10 October at 11.10am

On 10 October the autumn equinox has passed and the cursor reading point has moved out from the inner circle of the dial towards winter solstice at the circumference. The sighting arm carries a short vertical gnomon which casts its shadow in line with the sun.

The azimuth sundial is an intriguing instrument. It finds the time from the direction of the sun. This idea sounds simple, the sun rises in the East, at Noon it is due South, and it sets again in the West, but it is complicated by the time of year. This note is about a new design for a precision azimuth sundial to go in a garden. Continue reading

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Armillary sundial on the day of autumn equinox at noon

Armillary sundial on the day of the autumn equinox at noon

Every day at noon the gnomon rod casts its shadow on the centre line of the meridian band. When the day of spring or autumn equinox arrives the two orb balls cast a double shadow onto the meridian band. Away from the equinox, only one orb shadow will show.

Our armillary sundial casts distinctive shadows at noon on the day of autumn equinox, as seen in the photo. Its unique design allows the noon shadow of the gnomon rod to fall on the broad meridian band at its centre line. The two orb balls also cast their noon shadow onto the meridian band. Continue reading

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A modern altitude sundial after Erasmus Habermel

A modern circular altitude sundial after Erasmus Habermel of Prague

Modern reconstruction of a 16th century altitude sundial for studying its mathematics and accuracy. An altitude dial uses the height of the sun to find the time. The dial is double-sided with the two half-years back-to-back.

Erasmus Habermel was a renowned scientific instrument maker working in the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague in the 16th century. He made instruments for all disciplines including astronomy and navigation. One of his sundials is an altitude dial in the clocks collection of the Augustine Museum in Freiburg im Bresgau*. It is an elegant circular dial and the mathematical construction is intriguing. Continue reading

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North alignment on a Victorian pedestal

Sun direction measured with an angle finder

The direction of the sun measured against one edge of the octagonal stone pedestal using the angle finder and light slit

A Victorian sundial pedestal stands in the gardens of Riccarton estate outside Edinburgh. It once held a beautiful octagonal dial which is now in safe storage. A replacement dial is to go on show and it must be in a correct orientation. The gnomon on a sundial must point north. A wrong alignment will make the sundial inaccurate, and nothing on the 19th century pedestal actually marks the north. Continue reading

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An 18th century horizontal garden sundial

A beautiful 18th century horizontal garden sundial

A historic horizontal bronze garden sundial, 1723

A fine 18th century horizontal sundial stands in the gardens of the House of Dun near Montrose. The dial is octagonal made in bronze set in a carved and moulded stone raised on a baluster pedestal and stone step. Elegant tracery scroll work supports the gnomon.

The dial engraving is detailed employing delicacy of variation in deep and light incisions and ornament. The chapter ring carries exact time divisions down to a single minute. Continue reading

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Looking for a place for our armillary sundial

Looking for a place for our armillary sundial

The armillary sundial captures the dynamics of the earth spinning on its axis and orbiting the sun. The equatorial band is pierced with markers for the hours. A meridian band shows the seasons.

Now that we have moved, we have been looking for a place for our armillary sundial. Before, it was nestling gently in its surroundings with plants in the garden growing up through the rings and wrapping themselves around. For the moment it is out in the open where  we can see it better. It has an air of almost floating on its stand with the lightness of the rings and the delicate shadows on the ground. Continue reading

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