St Margaret’s Church, Watisfield

This elaborately carved stone sundial is mounted using iron cleats onto the brickwork above the South entrance porch. The dial shows the hours, using Roman numerals, from 6am to 6pm in half and quarter hours. The thick gnomon is cut from solid iron sheet and has a triangular support near the root and also a scalloped underside. The motto reads: ’The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork {Psalms 19 v1). This is arranged in small letters around a large circle at the gnomon root. This circle has a sun and flames motif at the centre with eight balls around it. Two representations of globes and (possibly) the orbit of planets are at each of the top corners.