United Kingdom

Kirkdale sundial

Saxon sundial and church inscription, 11th century UK

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Historical Context

About

The Saxon sundial at St Gregory's Minster, Kirkdale in North Yorkshire, near Kirkbymoorside, is an ancient canonical sundial which dates to the mid 11th century. The panel containing the actual sundial above the church doors is flanked by two panels, bearing a rare inscription in Old English, the language of the Anglo-Saxons. The sundial, discovered during a renovation in 1771, commemorates the rebuilding of the ruined church, about the year 1055, by Orm, son of Gamal, whose Scandinavian names suggest that he may have been a descendant of Vikings who overran and settled this region in the late 9th century.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Sundial creation

mid 11th century

Tostig's earldom

1055–1065

Church reconstruction by Orm

c. 1055

Sundial discovery

1771

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Religious and Ritual Structures

Churches
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Artistic and Decorative Features

Inscriptions
category

Astronomical and Timekeeping Structures

Sundials
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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

54.26° N, -0.96° E