Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 22nd April, 2025)

I would have put the sun dial in the middle flanked with the fossilised tree trunks. At 1st glance it looks like some one has just thrown the pieces down any where.And what is the stone in the background? It looks like a grave head stone?

They look heavy to me Peter. So your probably right they have just been thrown down

I can't find anything to say about this PAD.

I would have put the sundial in the sun. Not under a tree.
I would also spell it as sundial not as sun dial. It is a compound noun.

It doesn't even look like a sundial. Where is the gnomon? Are you sure about this Mick?

A Sundial that looks more like a stone bird feeder.

I'm sorry but I can't see a traditional sundial anywhere in that photo. Is that shape nearest the front of the photo, which looks like a face with eyes and a mouth, meant to be the sundial? It reminds me of the head of a Stormtrooper out of Star Wars. I'm a bit lost with this.

Maybe Big H has had it away for scrap O.R. ?

On the British Sundial Society website it says, The carved stone cuboid top of this multiple dial is unfortunately no longer on its plinth, but it is preserved within a safe area adjacent to the Hall. It is reported to date from the 1800s

Irene, I'm very surprised that someone like you, who is supposed to live life in the 40s, has ever heard of a Stormtrooper.
Anyway, back to today's very interesting Pad, what I like about this photo is the way the Wigan council have preserved those ancient petrified trees, that would have been growing in Wigan along long time ago.

What a waste of a pad.

How strange.....on Easter Sunday no less than FOUR regular p-a-d people commented on Mick's photo that it would have been nice to have an Easter theme. for Easter Sunday. It wasn't Mick's fault, as it is Admin who choose what photos go on each day, but of the four people who commented, there was only ME who Mick had a go at. Today, a number of people have said they either don't like. or can't understand, Mick's Sundial photo, but again it's only ME who comes in for criticism from him. I just have to assume he doesn't like me.....heigh ho....we can't please everyone. I know every character from Star Wars, Mick, as my son, born in 1976, lived and breathed Star Wars as a child in the 1980s,, and his son, (now 16), loved them too.

Take no notice Michael , this Sundial must be very important to be mentioned on the British Sundial Society website, thank for unearthing it by your camera.

Thanks, Mick, for showing us the Haigh Hall Sundial. I had a look at the Sundials website and found that In 1874, 26th Earl of Crawford Ludovic sailed to Mauritius to record the transit of Venus which occurs every 243 years, recording this was essential for the advancement of astronomical calculations to establish the distance between planets and the size of the solar system. On his return to Wigan, he was given a hero’s welcome with locals lining the streets, and brass bands performing on his way back to the hall.
I think this must be a piece of forgotten Wigan history that, for me, is more important and interesting than the Romans coming.
It's a shame you have to put up with the silly comments.

If Mick's comment at 11.02 am had appeared under the photo instead of halfway through the morning, people would have understood what they were looking at, instead of being perplexed by the lack of a recognisable sundial. A little explanation is a great help.

How come those who find Mick's photo fascinating are people we've never heard of before ?

Thank you ‘ Tommy’ for coming to Mick’s rescue. It would have been helpful in the introduction though. It’s all so easy when you know where to look.

Irene, I think it's always nice to do your research, it makes it more interesting and that way it sinks in better.