Solent Business Park, Whiteley

This is a modern commemorative rectangular polar dial in slate, located by the fountain in the shopping centre. Polar dials are parallel with the earth’s axis, and all hour lines are parallel with one another. They can face any direction - this one faces due south, so the hour lines go straight up the dial. Strangely, though, the time shown at the centre of the dial appears to be about 12:12 GMT, whereas at this longitude one would expect the sun to be due south at 12:05 GMT on average. The dial has gilded lines, Arabic numerals and lettering on a slate ground. Hour lines are labelled with both BST & GMT, from 7am to 5pm (GMT). There are no subdivisions of the hours. There is a noon gap - note that the distance between 12 and 1pm GMT is greater than the hours on either side. The three lines that span the dial show where the shadow will fall on the solstices and equinoxes. They are labelled with the corresponding dates. The gnomon is a thick cylindrical rod with, apparently, a flat top. Time is to be read at the eastern or western extremity of the shadow. An inscription on the dial commemorates the visit of HRH Prince Michael of Kent Oct 15th 1991. The dial is held at the correct polar angle by a slate bracket mounted on a slate circle which records the maker as David Pawley of Newbury. The whole is atop a square-section stone pedestal.