Sundial, Nocton

Image: © Dave Hitchborne Taken: 20 May 2008

On the Green is a sundial, which was designed to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. The 'hours' represent the history of Nocton and the family names of the villagers are inscribed on the gnomon, as of 2002. The Dandelion sundial was designed by Cliff Baxendale a resident of Nocton. By the sundial is this plaque, which reads: - Nocton History – Time Plaque 7am – Stone Axe Heads (800BC) found when digging School foundations 8am – Romans – Skeletons and pottery recovered from burials on Village Green. 9am – British Boat (c327AD) discovered in 1811 in the Cardyke. 10am – Normans – D’Arcy’s took over Nocton from Saxons. Domesday Book entry. 11am – Black Death 1349 Carried off the Prior from the Abbey, the Vicar and the last of the D’Arcy’s. Noon – Henry VIII and Katherine Howard visited Hall 13th October 1541 – Commemorative tree planted. 1pm – Townley’s – Catholics in a very Protestant England 1609–1650 2pm – East India Company – Founder members live in the Village. 3pm – 1776–93 Land enclosed and a wind pump built. 4pm – Earl and Countess of Ripon – Prosperity Robinson, Prime Minister Aug.1827–Jan.1828. They built the present School, Church Hall, Poorhouse and other Buildings. 5pm – The Potato Railway – Brought from trenches of Arras after 1st World War to service estate lands 6pm – Hall used as hospital for USA airmen in 2nd World War. 7pm – Queen’s Jubilee 2nd June 2002 – Flowers celebrate present agriculture trends.

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