Why would anyone promote a “wanna-be” sundial?
Reply What you wrote about the “Sundial Bridge” is interesting and was not known to me. However, I wonder if the pylon may still act as a good sundial gnomon, even at its present angle. It depends on where the center of the dial circle is, the circle on which hours are marked. Imagine a tight string at the correct angle of 40.6 degrees, from the top of the pylon to a point P somewhere on the ground. The shadow of that string would be a “good” sundial gnomon. If a circular band divided into hours and fractions is drawn with its center at P (rather than at the base of the pylon), the tip of the shadow will give the correct time. Of course, the band must be wide enough to accommodate the seasonal variation of shadow length, but as long as you observe only the tip, you have a working sundial.
