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BRIDOL is the British Sundial Society's Register of Fixed Dials, which gives detail and photographs of about 4,800 sundials in the UK which are publicly available. Click here for the BRIDOL main page.

St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

This image of a dial appears on a grave slab that is now mounted on the interior south wall of the nave (alongside many other grave slabs). It is one of a number of symbols associated with death, carved in relief. The symbols are in a central panel between upper and lower panels containing text. The dial is symbolic only, and is roughly square, with hour lines radiating downwards from the top. "The picture represents Death breaking the urn of Life with an arrow. A flame bursts forth from the punctured vessel, from the tip of which the soul flies away in a northwesterly direction. An hour-glass with the sand run out, a sun-dial, two spades, and a coffin complete the doleful ideogram." (see Ref below.) The grave slab is for Patrick Prince, died 1673. For the text on the slab, see the ref below and search for Patrick Prince. Ref: https://archive.org/stream/nationalgeograp391921nati/nationalgeograp391921nati_djvu.txt

 

2019
2019
 
 

St Magnus Cathedral Broad Street Kirkwall KW15 1NX Orkney Islands

SRN Year Recorded Coords
8111 1673 2019 58.98139, -2.96000
N 58° 58' 53", W 02° 57' 36"
National Grid 3 Words Sundial Atlas
HY44921085
Condition Type Access
Fair Horizontal Open
Maker Materials Dimensions
Stone