Mount Ephraim, Hernhill

This unusual sundial has a marble dial plate with carved aligned Roman numerals in the format IIII - XII - IIII - VIII, with noon gap, and is read from the outside. Half hour lines are with spear head. Minutes 30, 15 and 5 are shown outside the chapter ring. In the south gap, the date ’1 6 9 8’ is shown and above it, and below the toe of the gnomon, is the motto ’CARPE DIEM’. The bronze gnomon is supported on two feet and is pierced to floral curves. The dial plate is set flush into the top surface of a squat stone urn, deeply carved around its sides with human and lion faces, and possibly a lion drinking from a jar(?), circled by a rope pattern above flutes converging to the base. The urn is adapted from a stone font, said to be Norman, acquired from St Augustine’s Church, Canterbury. UPDATE: In 2024 the gnomon was found broken and the marble face in need of a good clean.