Dorchester Abbey (2), Dorchester

Rectangular vertical millennium dial on the southern side of the tower. A fine modern dial replacing an old and unusable one (SRN 5018), commissioned to celebrate the millennium. The wall of the tower faces 26 degrees west of due south, hence the asymmetry of the dial which has carved and gilded lines and letters. There is a sunburst around the gnomon root towards which the hour and half hour lines extend. In a chapter ring there are also quarter hour marks. Outside, vertical Roman hour numerals run from 8am to 7pm. The unsupported rod gnomon has a fancy sun-like aperture nodus at its end. Curved declination lines crossing the dial show the path of the shadow of the nodus at the solstices. The straight line crossing diagonally indicates the equinoxes: the nodus shadow appears below it in summer. The motto above the dial reads: "Lux Dei Umbra". The date is given as MM. The dial is set on two stone corbels and is parallel with the wall below whereas the earlier dial in this place was canted out from a recess so as to face due south. The dial was made by the well-known local dialmaker David Harber.