The renaissance of the sundial
Ancient and beautiful, the sundial is gaining favour in the garden again


A different approach is taken by the Orbit sundial, in which interlocking circles are suspended above a freestanding vertical steel dial. Price on application, Macmillan Hunter Sundials (0131-468 2616; www.macmillanhunter.co.uk)
The Classic sundial, a flat, circular brass or bronze dial, with or without a motto of your choosing. From £129, Border Sundials of Abergavenny (01873 840297; www.bordersundials.co.uk)
Cast in the Ironbridge Gorge, a square-disc brass sundial with your chosen inscription. £150, Robert Foster (01746 861330; www.sundialsbyrobertfoster.co.uk)
Joanna Migdal works to commission to produce wall dials, ring dials, metal and glass dials or what you will (01491 412962; www.sundialsomething.com)
A vertical sundial for attachment to a south-facing wall, perhaps with the glittering addition of gilded lettering. From £500, David Brown Sundials of Somerset (01458 274841; www.davidbrownsundials.com)
David Harber makes a wide range of sundials, including obelisks, armillary spheres and standing stones to commission in Oxfordshire (01235 859300; www.davidharber.co.uk)
Multitasking meets economy in this sundial glass, with the dial accurately set out on the face of a pint beer glass. £15, The SunGlass Site (01273 673511; www.sundialglass.wordpress.com)
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Charles-town Sundials of Cornwall produces a bronze disc with a decorative border and a choice of motto. £325 (01726 882936; www.charlestownsundials.com)
A horizontal dial needs a pedestal, such as one carved from Portland stone by Harriet James in Warminster. About £1,500, Harriet James (01985 216311; www.sunnydials.co.uk)
* Follow Country Life magazine on Twitter
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
'That’s the real recipe for creating emotion': Birley Bakery's Vincent Zanardi's consuming passions
Vincent Zanardi reveals the present from his grandfather that he'd never sell and his most memorable meal.
By Rosie Paterson
-
The Business Class product that spawned a generation of knock-offs: What it’s like to fly in Qatar Airways’ Qsuite cabin
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite cabin has been setting the standard for Business Class travel since it was introduced in 2017.
By Rosie Paterson