Analemmatic Dial – GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN

MUNICH . LAIM DISTRICT – Modern Noon Dial

Published on April 1, 2025 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

NOON DIALS

A noon dial / noon mark serves as a method of pinpointing midday, when the sun is at its highest and due south. The origins are ancient. Here, the relevant area is in the centre, flanked by Roman numerals. My maths / science skills are few and I will spare you a rudimentary explanation. The key words are Equation of Time, Analemma, and (my non-technical choice) figure of eight.

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In the centre of the dial is a narrow figure of eight bounded by the numerals. You can just make out the raised bracket that supports a slender gnomon. You can see a small ring through which, at the perfect moment, the sun’s rays strike the face of the dial:

If you want to know more, there is a concise entry at ANALEMMA (Wiki)

GREEN TEMPLETON COLLEGE OXFORD

A modern (1995) noon-dial commemorating the Bicentenary of the Radcliffe Observatory, designed by the renowned Christopher Daniel, founder of the British Sundial Society. The critical alignment of the sun’s rays are projected onto the surface of the dial at noon (MERIDIES MEDIA), focused by the small ring.

THE COLLEGE’S NOTES

It works by using a spot of light cast by the nodus (the gilded sun with a hole in the middle), falling upon the slate dial-plate and tracking from left to right across it.
It is declining because the wall it is attached to does not face due south but ‘declines’ away from the compass point
Noon-mark means it gives the point at which the sun at its zenith crosses the Greenwich meridian and the Oxford meridian (the vertical white line down the centre of the dial)
Mean-time means you can read clock-time from the dial by following the progress of the year along the figure-of-eight marking, known as an analemma or equation of time correction curve. This makes allowances for the effect of variations in the apparent motion of the sun at different times of year.

GSS Category: Analemma; Equation of Time; Munich Sundial; Nodus; University Sundial

CREDIT: John Renner, for another great find from his travels

AUDERVILLE . MANCHE . ST GILLES – Vertical Dial

Published on September 5, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

The church of St Gilles at Auderville is one of several churches in the region with similar dials located high up on one end, in this case the E buttress.

The dial is both canted and also slightly angled downwards, enough to notice from ground level. The Roman numerals are Blackletter, as can be found on other churches in the area. I haven’t come across the ‘horseshoe’ 9 before. The modern angled gnomon is plain and functional.

GSS Category: Vertical Dial Normandy France

All photos: Keith Salvesen

BOROUGH GARDENS . DORCHESTER – Analemmatic Sundial

Published on September 4, 2024September 4, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

NOTE: 2 years on from my previous visit here on a very damp autumn day, I have returned on a sunny late-summer day. This post replaces the rather enervating photos from then with some brighter and more legible ones now.

The Borough Gardens in Dorchester are close to the centre of town. They were laid out and opened in the 1890s as ‘pleasure grounds’, as they remain. There is plenty to offer for all ages in an agreeable undulating space. Lawns, tennis courts, bandstand, paddling pool, playground, fountain, a memorial obelisk, and more.

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

Amongst the attractions, close to the bandstand, is a modern analemmatic sundial. I don’t know the actual date it was laid out, but the BSS record is 1998 with the note: The dial is laid out in the play area near the bandstand. Hour markers adjusted for longitude, an hour added for summertime use. Shows hours from 7am to 7pm.

CALENDAR

analemmatcic-sundial-dorchester-pamphlet-yougov Download

GSS Category: Analemmatic Sundial

All photos: Keith Salvesen; written information from municipal sources with thanks

CORCIANO . UMBRIA (2): Analemmatic Sundial

Published on April 7, 2024 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

CORCIANO . UMBRIA . ANALEMMATIC DIAL

Corciano is an attractive small town 12km west of Perugia, walled and with much of its medieval origins still evident. In contrast, the Commune has commissioned interesting modern projects, for example a residential complex designed by Renzo Piano and inspired by Rubik’s cubes.

The town has initiated an ambitious project, financed by the municipality, to make an itinerary that combines culture, history, astronomy, landscape and science and can be used free of charge for everyone: citizens, schools and tourists.

BORGO del SOLE

The Sundial Trail links 3 different kinds of sundial at sites carefully chosen for each type. These are an Armillary Sphere (Equatorial Dial); an Analemmatic Sundial; and a Ptolemaic Plinth in the Gardens. Other types of dial are planned.

EAST STOUR . DORSET – Analemmatic Sundial

Published on February 8, 2024February 9, 2024 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

East Stour is a small village 5m W of Shaftsbury, with the A30 dividing its church from the majority of its (potential) congregation. I had a good lunch in the pub as bell-ringing issues were being keenly discussed around me..

A short but perilous (no pavements) walk away is a very fine and beautifully designed analemmatic sundial in a small park by the Village Hall. It is a war memorial, and the dedication poignantly extends the commemoration to everyone from East Stour who has been affected by war.

BSS RECORD

The dial is in the north corner of East Stour playing field. It is made from Portland stone and black granite with slate shingle infill. Granite tablet set into portland stone slab to N of date scale is all slightly canted and carries the laser-etched inscription: 4This Memorial is dedicated everyone from East Stour who has been affected by war. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.X To the right of the words is an etched image of a soldier, a child and three crosses. The dial shows Arabic hours for 5am to 8pm.

Delineation was by David Brown, content by Guy Gilding, letter-cutting and stone-laying by lan Viney of Stonemasons of Dorset Ltd, and groundwork by local builder.

GSS Category: Analemmatic Sundial; Memorial Sundial

All photos: Keith Salvesen

BOROUGH GARDENS . DORCHESTER -Analemmatic Sundial

Published on November 14, 2022November 15, 2022 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

Analemmatic Sundial . Borough Gardens . Dorchester

The Borough Gardens in Dorchester are close to the centre of town. They were laid out and opened in the 1890s as ‘pleasure grounds’, as they remain. There is plenty to offer for all ages in an agreeable undulating space. Lawns, tennis courts, a bandstand, paddling pool, playground, a fountain, a memorial obelisk and more.

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

Amongst the attractions, close to the bandstand, is a modern analemmatic sundial. I don’t know the date it was laid out, but the BSS record is 1998 with the note: The dial is laid out in the play area near the bandstand. Hour markers adjusted for longitude, an hour added for summertime use. Shows hours from 7am to 7pm.

CALENDAR

When I visited a few days ago, several small boys were having a kick around, with the dial in the centre of the pitch. No other type of dial would have worked for the purpose. The dial was partly concealed by uncut grass and leaves – the latter covering each numbered stone completely (I had to move some). I liked the way that the dial has several roles: time-telling in an interesting way; an open invitation to be the gnomon; an educative function; and artful horizontal stonework blending in with grassy and leafy surroundings. And a ‘jumpers for goalposts’ pitch into the bargain.

LAYOUT