BSS Design Awards for 2021 to 2025

The Bedlington Terrier Dial

Tony Moss

Tony Moss submitted this entry as his very last sundial. The dial was created over three years. The design work was completed using Adobe illustrator and the fabrication was done by Barrington Metalworks locally. The sundial celebrates the local coal mining history as well as the local famous dog.

The Town Council finally accepted the dial on 7 December 2021.  The inauguration was in the presence of dignitaries and was followed by lunch

The sundial was featured on the front cover of the Bulletin and there was an associated article.

Replica of The Queen's dial at Cambridge

Sean Clarke

Sean writes:

This is a 1:10 scale working replica of The Queen's dial at Cambridge. 

The house wall declines 5.2 deg to the east. The Cambridge dial declines 13 deg to the east.

My replica' declination can be adjusted to tweak the final setting.

The sub style angle to the south line is calculated as 10.04 deg to the west. The style angle to the table is 37.05 deg. The latitude of my location is 51.79 deg N (Cuddington, Buckinghamshire).

My replica is a print on thin aluminium plate. The picture was taken on 12 March 2025 and the nodus shadow can be seen on the straight equinox line.

For such an aesthetically pleasing sundial it was surprising easy to construct. Fortunately, Queen's College, Cambridge have produced a JPEG image on their website (see below) that is free to use for personal use. The down loaded file was presented to one of a myriad of printers (many on eBay) who can print any image onto thin aluminium plate for about £10-£20.

The printed image was carefully glued onto a rigid piece of aluminium plate and four holes (5mm) drilled in each corner. A fifth hole, for placement of the style (1mm brass rod), was also drilled through the plate. To achieve the correct angle the style makes to the plane of the dial (table). 10mm of one end of thin round rod was gently clamped into a workbench vice such that the rest of the rod protruded exactly vertical While still clamped the rod was carefully bent over until the desired angle was found (previously calculated), measured with a protractor with respect to the horizontal.

The style rod was carefully glued into the correct position with a metal adhesive and oriented to the required angles (previously calculated for my local circumstances) using a protractor and set square. After the glue had set there was sufficient movement in the rod to refine the style's orientation.

The nodus was simply a common gold coloured bead with a pre drilled hole of diameter equal to style's thickness. The bead was glued into position on the style such that it sits directly above the dials horizon line.

Two length of flat metal bar (brass) were tapped to accept four lengths of short 4mm threaded rod. These flat bars (with attached threaded rods) were carefully positioned and attached to the wall such that the 4 holes in the sundial plate could pass along the threaded rod allowing some tilt and importantly, that the bottom and top edges of the dial were horizontal. There are two locking nuts on each threaded rod so the dial can be locked into place.

The calibration of the dial with the actual sky was achieved by first loosening the 8 locking nuts of the threaded rod (4 behind and four in front) so the dial had some freedom of movement. An arbitrary apparent local solar time was chosen (i.e 1100 hrs) and the dial later locked down when my chosen local solar time equalled the calculated mean zone time (UTC), all this taking into account longitude and the equation of time.

My advice for anyone wanting to produce their own dial is to check with their chosen printer how stable their inks are under prolonged UV exposure - some fade faster than others.

Heston Community Garden Sundial

Martin Birdseye

Location:     Heston Community Garden, Sutton Playing Fields, The Crossways, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0JG

Martin writes:

This is a ceramic dial formed from a wheel-thrown pot which provides the requirements for an equatorial sundial with a calendar, Equation of Time, and several features contributing to a global awareness and connection to the cosmos.

How it works

The gnomon is thrown with the pot, as a conical form at the centre, naturally concentric with the internal spherical surface on which its shadow is projected.  The shadow is thus a consistent symmetrical shape of which it is easy to judge the centre‑line which indicates the time of day.  Both GMT and BST hours are shown, at the top and bottom of the scale respectively, as appropriate to the general location of the shadow in Winter and Summer.  The height of the shadow indicates the time of year on a vertical scale delineated in months.  The Equation of Time analemma is shown at the 12.00 o'clock line.  The initial letters identifying months are positioned next to the relevant section of the analemma to enable a visual conversion of sun time to clock time.

How it's made

Before firing, when the clay is 'leather hard', the pot is tilted and sliced at the intended angle of latitude so that the rim becomes the horizon, and the gnomon can point in the polar direction.  Using some relatively simple jigs, all the markings on the dial are scribed into the clay and filled with manganese dioxide.  In the subsequent firing (to 1200°C) the oxide converts to a dark brown impervious glaze.  The sliced off piece of clay is used to make the foot of the sundial.  The plinth is an antique ceramic chimney pot, in harmony with the ceramic dial.

How to use

Instructions will shortly be on the Community Garden website (https://www.hestonactiongroup.co.uk/) , later to be accessed by a QR code label on the plinth.