Greetings fellow dialists, In the garden in Dalemain House, Cumbria, NW England is a pedestal dial, no. 2222 in the BSS register, dated 1688. As well at the hours, which are divided into single minutes, it is marked in compass points radiating from the centre of the dial plate, each of the 32 points being labelled, N, NbE, NNE, NebN etc. Each point interval (of 11 1/4 degrees) is divided into eight. Moreover the reciprocal direction is given for each point.
It would seem that the points divisions might indicate the sun's azimuth but there seems to be nothing on the gnomon in the way of a vertical arising from the centre of the dial plate which would enable this to be done; the gnomon just has the conventional fretted appearance. Any suggestions as to why this very nautical layout should be used? Frank, 55N 1W -- Frank Evans -
