Cast of a Saxon Sundial, original at Kirkdale Church, Yorkshire

Made:
1935-1958 (reproduction); 1055-1064 CE (original) in Yorkshire
Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Plaster cast of the Saxon sundial on Kirkdale Church, Yorks, originally made 1055-1064 CE, reproduction cast made 1935-1958. It marks the daylight period into four equal periods, using a horizontal gnomon which is now missing.

The Saxon sundial on the Minster of St Gregory at Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, splits the day into the Canonical hours of Christianity. The sundial is inscribed in Old English, and the original was flanked by an inscription on either side, reading: "Orm Gamal's son bought St. Gregory's minster when it was all broken down and ruined, and he had it built anew from the ground for Christ and St. Gregory in the days of King Edward and of Earl Tostig". On the dial itself is: "This is the day's sun-marker, at every tide." and "And Haward wrought me and Brand priest".

The references to Edward the Confessor and Earl Tostig Godwinson allows us to date the reconstruction of the church, and the construction of the sundial, to between 1055 and 1065 CE.

Details

Category:
Time Measurement
Object Number:
1958-251
Materials:
casting plaster, vertical, chronological, inscriptions and replication
Measurements:
overall (when in storage): x 39.3701 x 39.3701 in.; x 1 x 1 m
type:
sundial and reproduction
credit:
William Birch and Sons Ltd.