Information Stephen will require when you order a sundial.

Currently taking orders for 2024 / 25 season.

U.K. Deliveries only - sorry I am no longer exporting.

Your name and address and contact details.  Email (if you have one*) and a phone number,  Please let me know if the sundial is to be a secret so that I do not accidentally spoil a wonderful surprise! *All of this can be done by Letter but will take a little longer.

The specific name and size of the sundial to be purchased. 

If this is a horizontal sundial and there are options eg, Octagonal instead of round.  Screw holes and matching screws, instead of fixing with adhesive. Engraved mock screwheads or not if using adhesive.

Delivery information.

Sundial proposed location address and post codes (if different from the purchasers  address) If you know that postal services have difficulty in finding the property please supply detailed delivery driver instructions to guard against “Unable to find” notifications; yes it has happened!

For dials sent to Ireland / Eire can you please supply the full international post code without which I cannot book delivery

If the sundial is a gift, For delivery purposes Stephen will also need the name and address of recipient if the sundial is to be delivered directly to them. Also required; contact details; either recipients (please get their permission to pass this data on to me, you may want to wait until the sundial is ready before asking!) email or telephone so that Stephen can liaise once the sundial is ready to arrange delivery.

Location data for where the sundial is to be installed.  All my sundials are made individually for the location in which they will be installed.

(See ‘How to’ notes below)  Please do feel free to make an order before you have obtained this information.

Text required for the sundial.

Please note that all the engraving for armillary spheres is done when the metal is still flat and is the first process of creating the armillary.

The number of letters and spaces for each specific sundial, Armillary Polar or Horizontal,  can be found in the 'details' for each dial on their specific page.

Stuck for words!   Ask Stephen to send you some pdf files of mottos taken for various sources, classical and humorus.

Date required.

Whilst Stephen will always endeavour to be able to have these stunning sundials ready for specific dates this may not always be possible. Each sundial is individually crafted with great skill and attention to detail; this takes time. Stephen has a significant order book for most of the year, so If you know of an upcoming event that you would like to celebrate with one of his designs it is always better to get in touch early.  Stephen can also produce a full colour printed gift certificate stating that a 'Bespoke sundial commission is being gifted' This can also allow the lucky recipient to have some input into the sundial if the givers wish. Please contact Stephen to discuss this option which is free of charge.

Order confirmation and payment details.

Once all the above data is available, Stephen will be able to create 'Pre-engraving' artworks so that the purchaser can see exactly how the lettering will look on the chosen sundial and also have the opportunity to change this if desired. Only when final approval has been signed off will the engraving be done.

Payment in full will be required for all sundial commissions under £350.00 And a  deposit of £350.00 will be required for all sundials over £350.00 (See terms and conditions) with the balance payable prior to delivery or collection.  A larger deposit may be required for fully bespoke designs requiring more expensive materials.

U.K. Deliveries only - sorry I am no longer exporting.

Why do I need the location data?

All of Stephen's work is made accurately for the actual location that the sundial will be placed. For an Armillary this will be used to set the gnomon to the correct angle. Hour positions are equally spaced radially perpendicular to the centre of the Gnomon.

For horizontal sundials, it will be used to calculate the exact hour angles on the dial face and the angle of the gnomon. The location data will also be used to calculate and print a unique 'Solarnoon' chart specifically for every single sundial made which will be used to align the Sundial- full in depth installation instructions also  being supplied.

How to find longitude and Latitude.

Stephen will need the location in terms of Longitude ( degrees East or West of the Greenwich Meridian) and Latitude (degrees North or South of the equator) for the calculation of the dial and alignment instructions, this is usually found either by the link below, or this information can also be found via smart phone map apps and GPS devices.

Many post codes are quite inaccurate to the actual geographic location, the more accurate the location data given allows for a more accurate sundial.

How to find latitude and longitude using Streetmap. (Please note that no responsibility can or will be accepted for issues arising from using 3rd party vendors software)

  Click on link to open in new page;                                                 https://www.streetmap.co.uk/

This is easy to use. Start with your post code, this will put up a map showing the postcode location; if this is not exactly over your property location click ‘Move arrow’ (bottom right of blue map outline) this will go yellow. Place mouse pointer over the correct location and double click. The map will now refresh with a new orange arrow. Look to bottom centre of the map blue boundary and find;

‘Click here to convert coordinates’   A new page will open called  ‘Convert/Measure Coordinates’ Copy the section with Latitude and longitude which will show the location you have marked.

See example below for my house.

Lat (WGS84)         N53:47:22 (53.789427)

Long (WGS84)        W1:15:13 (-1.253560)

This is the data that will be  needed for calculating your sundial and adding the location to the engraving.

All the above can also be done using "Google earth" mapping by dragging a place marker over the exact location on the map and copying the longitude and latitude in degrees-minutes-seconds  from the data box.

OS locate app

Alternately if you have geographical access to the location site; There is a wonderful ‘Free’ App from Ordnance Survey (Correct at the time of writing) for modern mobile phones that will show the exact location of the user in Longitude and Latitude.

Please note that this app will need setting to Longitude and Latitude not Eastings and Northings.   On the OS locate app       - click on ‘About’ – go to settings- tap Co-ordinates- change from ‘National Grid’ to ‘Lat/long’ then take reading.

Apple and Android phones Free location app    (Please note that no responsibility can or will be accepted for issues arising from using 3rd party vendors software)

Click on link to open in new page;                                  https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/apps/os-locate/

Please feel free to contact Stephen if you need any assistance in obtaining the location data.