A giant clifftop sundial telling Cornish time is planned as the major
millenium project for Perranzabuloe. The Parish
Council plan to construct a circle of standing stones; each marked with
an hour. Stuart Thorn from Perranporth has designed the 20 foot stainless
steel gnomon to cast shadows onto the standing stones. The stones will be aligned so they show the Cornish time rather than Greenwich Mean Time. When the sun is at its highest point, the North pointing gnomon will cast a shadow directly North onto the midday stone; in London it would happen approximately 12 minutes earlier. Mr Thorn felt he wanted people to be aware of their whereabouts and plans to have a granite lectern above the site to explain to the North of the Sundial is thought to be the landing place of St.Piran. and up into the sand dunes the sites of St. Piran's Oratory, the Lost Church and St. Piran's Cross The site chosen is below Droskyn car park on the grassy clifftop alongside the path leading to the beach. The whole area will be landscaped using granite, cobbles and grass. Seating made of granite is hoped to be incorporated into the plan along with Delabole slate for the Sundial base. The seven foot high standing stones were recovered by the Parish Council when workmen excavated around the road bridge over the river in Perranporth town centre. It is not known how old the stones are but "they may be the oldest stones ever moved by man at Perranporth" |