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Return to Co. Antrim List |
Go to my Homepage |
Go to Prehistoric Alignments & Dials |
Go to Ancient Monastic Dials |
Go to Medieval Dials |
Go to Modern (1600+) Dials |
Go to Sundial Info.and Books |
 Glenarm Castle |
 
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| The four and a half acre walled garden of Glenarm Castle has an ornamental herb garden, serpentine hedgerows,a water garden and a sundial. The dial is cut into the 450mm square stepped top of a 1150mm high round baluster sandstone pillar which has an octagonal stepped base tapering to the circular baluster. There is some slight chipping around the edges of the top and there has been damage, now repaired, at the base of the gnomon. The baluster is also flaking. The dial shows 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Roman numerals with IIII for four. The hourlines are continuous across the dialplate. The time is read from inside the Chapter Ring (i.e. with your back to the sun). The date "1822" is split between the two top spandrels and "LAT 55 DG" is engraved near the root of the gnomon. The bronze gnomon, which is probably a replacement, is 205 mm high and the dial has a noon gap to compensate for the gnomon thickness. The scrollwork of the gnomon includes a stylised Irish Harp with the silhouette of a female figure. The top has ben set askew probably in an attempt to get it to show G.M.T. The Castle, with its surrounding 1,500-acre estate, is the private (No Admittance) ancestral home of the McDonnells, Earls of Antrim, former Lords of the Isles and Glens. The walled garden is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday from May to September but phone, 0044 28 2884 1203, to confirm opening times and admission charges Glenarm is about 15 K. north of Larne on the A2 Antrim Coast road. Lat 54° 58' North Long 5° 56' West Irish Grid D 332300 415200 |