For May the group of sundials at Corpus Christi College, Oxford will be our ‘Sundial of the Month’. Taken from the Wills’s cigarette card collection of ‘Old Sundials’ here’s what we already know about this beautiful and ornate structure.
“This very remarkable sundial, or rather group of dials, stands in the quadrangle of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. The dials, which bear the date 1581, were constructed by Charles Turnbull, a Lincolnshire man who was admitted to the college in 1573. There are dials on the four sides of the pyramid, and on each side of the cubical block, for the carved scroll-work of each shield acts as a gnomon or marker. There is another dial and also a perpetual calendar on the cylindrical shaft. The sundial is surrounded by a pelican on a globe, the crest of the College.”
Founded in 1517, Corpus Christi College has been a centre for new learning in the University of Oxford for over five centuries. The sundial which sits in the quadrangle at the college has clearly been well maintained during its lifetime which is a delight to see, as it’s such an unusual example incorporating many elements.
You can view a three dimensional model of the sundial and get a closer look at its detail here.
You can read more about the complete ‘Old Sundials’ cigarette card collection and how we came to acquire it here.
