Magnetic dial for latitude 52° North. Round brass sundial in a case with a suspension ring. The dial is set on a printed magnetic compass card, which is free to rotate with the movement of a bar magnet on the underside so that it is correctly oriented. The dial-plate has 32 compass points marked around the edge, 15 by English initials and North by a fleur-de-lys. Within this is an hour ring divided clockwise 5 am-7 pm with a sunface at the South point. A simple brass gnomon is set on the dial-plate and a glass plate is set over all and held in place by the metal of the case.

This simple sundial may well have been created for use by Boy Scouts. It is clearly an inexpensive instrument, and it was, of course, very easy to use. Another example can be seen in the MHS, Oxford (new inventory no. 51524).

For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.