Return to Co. Down list
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
|
Return to Co. Down list |
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 |
 Down Sundial |
 |
 |
A rectangular slate dial 330mm wide by 450mm deep in a private collection. It is engraved"RICHD MELVILLE" "Fecit Belfast AD 1838". "BELVOIR GARDEN" "For Latitude 54°33' North" There is a central 16-point compass rose marked "N" "NW" and "W" etc.. The central chapter ring shows 4a.m. to 8p.m. in Roman numerals with IV for four. There is a noon gap to compensate for the brass gnomon thickness. The fractional time rings inside the Chapter Ring have 30,15 and 5 minute divisions. There is a large abstract trefoil design centred on the north side of the plate and in each corner and on the south side there are astronomical diagrams:- In the North West corner "THE SEASONS", an ellipse with the sun at its centre and four globes at typical positions on the ellipse to represent the summer and winter soltices and the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes. The globes are hatched to indicate .??? In the North East corner "ZODIAC". The dial is worn here so no diagram is visible. In the South West corner " Phases of the moon " with eight globes. In the South East corner the diagram is worn and the legend difficult to make out. Looks like "Phases of the ???.". with four globes Along the south side is a diagram of "Solar and Lunar Eclipses". |
|
The Belvoir Estate House was built in the 1740s. The Batesons or Deramores, as they become known after taking the title in 1885, lived at Belvoir from 1815 until the latter years of the 19th century. The estate was split up and the House demolished in 1960. Special thanks to Ben Simon for bringing this dial to my attention |