Archman News On Line.

Shepherds Sun-dials of the South Downs.

About twenty years ago I spent a few days at Burpham, on the South Downs, not far from Arundel.

One of the interesting things I noticed was that some of the old time shepherds actually constructed sun-dials in the turf.

They had learned to do this in the old days before watches were cheap.

This is how it was done.—Having selected a fairly smooth bit of turf, the shepherd marks a rough circle about 18 inches in diameter, with a pointed stick, leaving the stick perpendicularly in the ground in the centre.

Due south of this he fixes another stick, about twelve inches long, on the periphery of the circle.

The various land marks, and their bearings, are so well known to shepherds, that they need no compass; and as a matter of fact, nearly every shepherd can tell the approximate time without any watch or dial and even on dull day.

Having fixed the South stick, he places another due West, and still another due East, so that we get a sundial with gnomons on the edge of a circle instead of being centre.

As the uses of this form of dial are connected with the tending sheep, it follows that its use is not required at all late, for the collecting and folding for the night of a large flock of sheep, naturally takes time.

Author unknown, document dated, 1890s.