The Barrow-on-Soar Millennium Dial

In early 2002 a group of villagers in Barrow-upon-Soar in Leicestershire first came together with the idea of marking the recent Millennium by creating a community garden on a theme of time and history. They decided on a large horizontal sundial as the main attraction. Patrick Powers was approached to perform the necessary calculations and to be the Technical Adviser to the project and the villagers themselves came together with local firms and suppliers to create their own simple yet highly imaginative design which intrigues all who see it.

A design diameter of 12m and a tubular gnomon were chosen with the use of inset Arabic hour markers which are further marked outside the chapter ring by fifteen local sandstone rough cut blocks.

The dial was formally opened to the public by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Lady Gretton on the 3rd July 2004. Those with access to Google Earth might also like to see an aerial view of the dial - amazingly in sunshine too - at coordinates 52 45 16.28N, 01 08 12.33W or simply click Here.  A local website leaflet describes the project Here. A few more pictures of this dial are also shown below: