Page 1

Dialogue - De Zonnewijzerkring, The BSS Tie

This section includes updates from De Zonnewijzerkring and mentions that the BSS tie, exclusively designed for members, is now available featuring the BSS symbol.
The BSS and Members

Page 2

Domus Coelestis

This article describes 18th-century slate sundials at Tawstock and Marwood churches by John Berry, the Tawstock dial being notable for its "domifying circles" or "circles of position". Berry, a local stonemason probably had help from a Cambridge don in laying out these sophisticated dials. These unusual domus lines indicate which astrological (rather than astronomical) zodiacal house the sun is in. The dial also features zodiacal signs, time of noon in various places, azimuth lines, and diurnal arcs for day length.
Dials: Unusual, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials

Christopher Daniel

Page 5

The Scratch Dial and its Function

This article proposes that scratch dials, often found on old church walls, are effective "event markers" rather than precise timekeepers. It discusses their radial geometry, common south-facing position, and erosion due to acid rain. The article refutes theories about them being equal-hour sundials with bent gnomons, and explains their connection to seasonal hours and monastic prayer times.
Dials: Mass Dials, Historical Dials, How Sundials Work

Allan A. Mills

Page 8

Report on BSS Council Meeting, September 1992

This report covers discussions from the BSS Council meeting in September 1992, including approaches to the National Trust for sundial inventory, assistance for Hereford Cathedral's dial restoration, and a sundial trail at the Horniman Museum. Financial health, membership updates, and plans for the next AGM at Jodrell Bank are also noted. The education group is producing a dialling video.
The BSS and Members

Page 9

The Tower of the Winds, Athens

This lecture describes the octagonal Tower of the Winds in Athens, built around 37 BC by Andronicus Cyrrhestes, housing a water clock and eight planar sundials. The tower features allegorical wind figures and its sundials, though faint, provided seasonal hours. The article highlights the historical neglect of its dials compared to the water clock and the need for restoration.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials

Charles K. Aked

Page 17

Two Notable Sundial Makers of Leicestershire

This article profiles two Leicestershire sundial makers: William Pearson and Thomas Scott Elgood. Pearson, a rector and astronomer, constructed a precise direct vertical dial in 1834 for his observatory. Elgood, an engineer, crafted a decorative slate dial in 1897 for St. Martin's Church, featuring biblical mottoes and Evangelist symbols, focusing on elegance rather than scientific precision.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

Walter Wells

Page 18

Portable Dials - The Butterfield Style

This article describes the popular "Butterfield Dial," named after Michael Butterfield of Paris (c. 1700), though the design's origin might be English. Typically octagonal, silver or brass, with a bird-supported gnomon and built-in compass, it was a decorative status symbol for international travellers. Despite criticism for its small compass and cluttered face, it remained popular, inspiring many copies and variations.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials, Sundial Design & Layout

John Moore

Page 25

A Portable Polar Sundial

This article introduces a portable polar sundial design that overcomes the issue of an infinitely long dial face for extreme hour angles. It uses two end-styles, which cast shadows for forenoon and afternoon hours, respectively. The dial can be adjusted using a wedge to correct for the Equation of Time or longitude.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Polar, Equation of Time, How Sundials Work

H. R. Mills

Page 27

Dialling on Uranus

This article explores hypothetical sundial behaviour on Uranus, where the planet's axis tilt is almost 90 degrees. At solstices, the sun would appear stationary overhead at the pole, and a rod gnomon would cast no shadow. As the sun moves, shadows would form circles, indicating a sidereal day, with significant changes in day length at solstices, leading to a "missing" solar day.
Dials: Unusual, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling

Bernard Oakley

Page 28

Sundial Line Drawing Jig

This article describes a Meccano jig designed by Noel Ta'Bois for drawing hour and declination lines on sundial plates of any shape, including curved surfaces. The instrument features a telescopic arm, set by calibrated dials for latitude, declination, and hour angle, which is extended to mark the shadow position of the nodus. It eliminates the need for complex calculations, making it useful for irregular surfaces.
Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

Noel C. Ta'Bois

Page 31

His Majesty's Dials in Whitehall Gardens

This article, based on Edmund Gunter's 1624 treatise, continues the original description of the intricate multi-faced cubic sundial in Whitehall Gardens. It details the use of various coloured lines (red, yellow, green, blue) on different dial faces to indicate azimuth, altitude, unequal "planetary" hours, sun's rising/setting times, length of day, and even the age of the moon and high water times. Geographical tables for longitude differences are also included.
Dials: Cube, Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials

Edmund Gunter

Page 36

Computer Program for Dial Calculations

This entry announces the availability of a computer program by Mr Fer de Vries for sundial calculations, sold to BSS members with proceeds benefiting the Society. Compatible with IBM systems and requiring a graphic adapter for drawing, it comes with explanatory text and is available on disc. An older, simpler program by Mr H.C. Parr is no longer available but its listing can be found in a previous Bulletin issue.
Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling

Fer J. de Vries

Page 37

The Holker Dial

This article describes the Holker Dial, a large shallow bowl sundial made of Burlington slate, sited at Holker Hall. Designed by Mark Lennox-Boyd, it is a projection of Berossos' hemispherium onto a shallow bowl, marked with 15-minute divisions, zodiacal signs, and a combined table for correcting for longitude offset and Equation of Time. The article details the challenging production process by Burlington Slate, involving computer-calculated polar coordinates for engraving and the moving of massive stone objects.
Construction Projects, Dials: Hemispherical, Dials: Scaphe, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

Mark Lennox-Boyd

Page 44

The Secretary's Notebook: Sundials at Newbury

This "Secretary's Notebook" entry provides updates on upcoming BSS events for 1993, including the Spring Conference and AGM at Jodrell Bank with a "sundial safari". It also mentions a planned summer meeting at Newbury and an autumn trip to Holland following a Dutch invitation. The section details a past "bring and show" day at Newbury and an exhibition at Jodrell Bank.
The BSS and Members

David A. Young