County Down is one of the
nine counties in the Province of Ulster in the North of Ireland. Renouned
for its world famous scenery, it is rich in prehistoric remains, and
the ruins of medieval castles and monasteries dot the landscape. Our
100km Down Sundial Trail starts in Bangor in the north, a popular seaside
resort with a pier and marina, and ends in Newcastle in the south of
the county 'where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea'.
The
National Trust maintains seven historic villages/homes/gardens here
and of course Down has its sundials.
The Bangor Monastery Dial
In the Rose Garden in front of Bangor Town Hall
(formerly Bangor Castle - built 1847) there is an ancient vertical stone
dial 1500mm high 300mm wide by 200mm thick dated circa 900 A.D. Originally
located in Bangor Monastery, of which nothing remains, it was relocated
to the Castle over 100 years ago. Only five timelines of a possible
twelve remain on the damaged 'U' shaped head and nothing remains of
the gnomon but the hole in the slab where a wooden or metal gnomon would
have fitted. Three crosses are carved on the stele.
British Sundial Society
Register No 4219
Lat 54° 40' Long 5° 40'
Irish Grid J 350 53 . 38235
The Bangor Abbey Dial
Next stop is but a few short steps to the
North Down Heritage Centre in the Town Hall grounds where you can
see a fine model of what the ancient monastery might have looked like.
On display here is a John Bonar sun, moon and tide slate dial,
400mm by 350mm by 15m thick, dated 1630. Originally designed for Bangor
Abbey Church on the site of the ancient monastery, it too was removed
to the Castle over 100 years ago.
This is an equatorial dial which means that it should be set up at an
angle parallel to the equator so that the summer sun shines on the upper
face and in winter on the lower face, which is also elaborately carved.
It had movable arms one of which was fitted with weights, like an astrolabe,
and could be turned until the moon appeared in the eye-piece. This eliminated
the need for a shadow, and the dial could have been used whenever the
moon was visible. The dial also has a wind rose, with the name of a
port opposite each point of the compass. The compass bearing is what
is called the 'port establishment', which very roughly gives the direction
of the moon at the high tide for the particular harbour. Ayr, London,
Bristol, Dublin and Cork are among the thirty places featured. The dial
is covered with mottos and verses in Latin and Scots.
One of only four known by this early 1600's Ayr school teacher, another
is in the archives of the Drumfries Museum, Scotland.
Photo Copyright North Down Heritage Centre and M.J.Harley ©
2001
Lat 54° 40' Long 5° 40'
Irish Grid J 35053 . 38235
The Mount Stewart Dial
Leave Bangor on the A20 heading south
10km to Newtownards. Go through Newtownards, stay on the A20, head southeast
towards Portaferry on the Ards Penninsula. After 8km you arrive at Mount
Stewart House, a
National Trust property on the shore of Strangford Lough. An 18th
century ancestral home and one of the greatest gardens in the country,
it is well worth a visit in its own right. But located in the Lily Garden
is the object of our visit, a circular brass dial 200mm in diameter
mounted on a 1200mm high pillar. The inscription reads
Serene I stand among the flowers
And only count life's sunny hours
For me dark days do not exist
I'm a brazen faced old optimist
British Sundial SocietyRegister
No 3608
Lat 54° 33' Long 5° 36'
Irish Grid J 35527 . 36951
The Nendrum Dial
Return to Newtownards and this time take the A21
to Comber 9kms. Leave Comber on the A22 road to Killyleagh, turn-off
1kms south of Comber to Nendrum Monastery, a further 8km. Located on
Mahee Island in Strangford Lough, it is accessed by narrow bendy roads
and a causeway. Founded in the 5th century, the remains of a round tower,
stone enclosures and a church are still to be seen. Here you will find
a vertical stone dial 1900mm high 400mm wide by 150mm thick dated circa
900 A.D., the same period as the Bangor Dial. It was reconstructed from
pieces found during excavation in 1924. There is a visitor centre on
site.
British Sundial SocietyRegister
No 3614
Lat 54° 30' Long 5° 38'
Irish Grid J 35330 . 36387
The Corbally Dial
Return to the A22 and continue south
24kms, passing through Balloo and Killyleagh to Downpatrick. Located
on the Mall, Down County Museum
(once Downpatrick Gaol) has some restored cells and houses exhibits
on the history of Down. The museum has eight slate dials, some of them
damaged, in it's archives (not on display). The photo shows one of these,
an unusual horizontal dial, 490mm by 395mm wide, The smaller of the
two central dials is delineated for Jerusalem and the main dial is for
Corbally 5km east of Banbridge. There is an eight point windrose at
the base of the gnomon. The four subsidiary dials, one at each corner
of the plate are for Savanna, Calcutta, Botany and New York. The Botany
gnomon is missing, the others are bent. Made for a Jas. Murry in 1834
by J. McNally. The quotations are in Latin and English, "I shew by the
kindnefs & splendour of the sun" " Sol gloria sphira" "Life in it's
greatest vigour is altogether vanity" "Brevis huminum vita" There is
a Places - Lat - Long table between Jas Murry - J McNally names, for
the five locations delineated. The method of showing the date is unusual.
There is another McNally dial in the museum but one of the corner subsidiary
dials is broken off and missing. Anyone wishing to view these dials
must phone ahead first to enquire if it is possible. 028 4461 5218
Photo Copyright Down County Museum and M.J.Harley © 2001
Lat 54° 20' Long 5° 44'
Irish Grid J 34742 . 33726
The Tollymore Dial
Leave Downpatrick on the A25 heading for Newcastle.
Travel south west 20km (through Clough where you make a right turn),
to Castlewellan. Leave Castlewellan on the A50 for 1km then take the
B180 to Bryansford and follow the road sign to Tollymore Forest Park
3km. The first national park in the British Isles, it covers an area
of 500 hectares at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. At the entrance
to the park high up on the octagonal belfry tower of Clanbrassill barn
is a painted vertical stone dial 700mm high by 600mm wide. The barn
was built by Lord Clanbrassill c.1760 and the clock and bell are dated
1785.
British Sundial SocietyRegister
No 3616
Lat 54° 13' Long 5° 58'
Irish Grid J 33262 . 33167
Here our trail ends..but not quite.
When you return to our starting point in Bangor take the A2 heading
west towards Belfast for about 5kms and you will come to
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra. This open air museum
has a typical Ulster town of 100 years ago, farms, cottages, livestock,
award winning railway collection and a TITANIC exhibition.
Yes - they do have sundials but they are not on display yet. Maybe someday
soon ...
Lat 54°39' Long 5° 47'
Irish Grid J 34306 . 38025
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