BRIDOL is the British Sundial Society's Register of Fixed and Mass Dials, which gives detail and photographs of about 8000 fixed sundials and 3000 mass dials in the UK.
Some of these are in private gardens, but the majority are publicly available.
The dial was acquired by Lord Spencer (ex First Lord of the Admiralty) from Admiralty House Gardens, Whitehall. It has a 32-point compass and shows the time of noon in New York, Mexico, Newfoundland, Dublin, Stockholm, Madrid, Tenerife, Paris and Argentina, with an inner ring for Europe and outer for the rest of the world. There is a crest with ’Honi soit qui mal y pense’ and ’Dieu et Mon Droit’. Wonderfully pierced gnomon. Maker also reported as Wilkins, Charing Cross - could it be Watkins? Shows 4am to 8pm.
Refs: - Gardens of Britain 6, Anthony, Batsford, London,1979.
- Old Halls & Manor Houses, Northants, Gotch,1936.
- Sundials & Roses of Yesterday, Earle, NY, 1902 pp 219/220.
