Royal Oak Inn, Bridestowe

Mrs Gatty says that this slate dial, dated 1714, was once on St.Bridget’s Church across the road. It could have been moved when the tower was rebuilt in 1828-30 but it is a West facing dial and it looks very comfortable where it is. It is difficul;t to imagine it anywhere else than on the Royal Oak. It shows the hours I to VIII in both Roman and Arabic numerals with the half hours marked by dots. Mrs Crowley’s drawings were mostly of church dials and she uses the word ’civilian’ to describe this one. The motto comes from the Epigrams of Ausonius (13) and the extended passage runs: "Senescimus,effugit aetas obrepit non intellecta senectus nec revocare potes, qui periere,dies". (We grow old, as the years fly old age creeps on unawares nor can you recall the days that are wasted.) The dial measures 910mmh x 760mmw.