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Government House wants to install an ‘armillary' sundial in its grounds to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
The sundial – which, if approved by the Planning Department, will be fitted on the west lawn of the St. Saviour’s Hill property – has been designed by father-and-son Nick and William Romeril.
In the submission to Planning, the former – a well-known local artist – said: “I have collaborated in the design and with my son, William Romeril, a silversmith, who has a deep knowledge and interest in historic mechanisms and has an understanding of how sundials are made and aligned. He has made small time pieces for his own practice.
“We want to make a subtly modern version of such a historic implement, earliest evidence for them being around 1500 BCE. Using modern construction and cutting techniques places the piece in its own time while simultaneously it will pay homage to traditional armillary sundials.”
The ancient Greeks are credited with inventing the armillary sphere, sometimes also known as the equatorial sundial. Their armillary globes - models of the universe with Earth at the centre - showed how they believed the universe worked and how the stars moved around the Earth.
The proposed design consists of a solid granite plinth onto which a bronze globe will be mounted. The ‘gnomon’ pointer would be in the shape of a jet in recognition of the current Lieutenant-Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, who was a fast-jet pilot before going on to the lead the Royal Air Force.
The sundial will be fully calibrated and functioning and be lit by four small LED lights at its base. It will stand close to four cannon, which previously defended Elizabeth Castle, around 75m from the main house.
The Queen will become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, 70 years of service, having acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952 when she was 25 years old.
A year of celebrations are planned, although the focus will be an extended four-day Bank Holiday Weekend of events from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June.
It is understood that the funding arrangements for the sundial are yet to be finalised.
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