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 is at the eastern end of the almost south-facing wall of the Ferens teaching block. It is about 25 mm thick, with v-cut inscriptions with light grey paint infill. It is supported by two angled stainless steel pins bonded to the back of the dial near the top edge. The surface was rubbed with almost dry cloth with Liberon wood finishing oil. The triangular gnomon is 5mm brass with an ogee rear edge, and is retained with transverse s/s pins. There is a disc nodus at 75 mm above the plate.
The motto ’LUX SPEI LUX VITAE’ (The light of hope is the light of life) is across the top, divided by the school badge. Upright numerals are used for the hours V - (noon) - IV - V, with a gilt Greek cross for noon. Half hours are marked with gilt dots between hour numerals and short lines terminating in diamond arrow-heads between the hour lines. There are three seasonal date curves, labelled WS (Winter Solstice) EQ (Equinox) and SS (Summer Solstice), coloured blue, green and red respectively.
There is an equation of time plaque in stainless steel on the wall below the dial.
The dial replaces an earlier painted wooden dial of almost the same design, made in 1991, which has not survived. The motto refers both to the proximity of the Physics laboratories (=optics) and to the 1990/1991 events in Europe which resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting sense of hope for the affected nations.
