The Putney Society decided, at the end of 1998, to erect a sundial as our contribution to marking the Millennium. We were fortunate to obtain permission to put up a vertical strip dial on the south face of Zeeta House at the junction of Putney High Street and the Upper Richmond Road. We wanted a design which would reflect our commitment to improving the environment, to echo our swan logo and to reflect the importance of the river to Putney
The base plate of our sundial is the swan, the gnomon (the shadow casting rod) is in the form of an oar, and the we hope that the design of the sundial proves an enhancement to the local environment. The dial is made of brass, which will gradually oxidise and become darker, making the sundial more prominent. Our designer, David Harber, suggested that we add a motto as these are traditional and uplifting features associated with sundials, which were often seen as oracles as well as timepieces. You will see that the motto is "Time like an ever rolling stream" which has echoes of the motto on the sundial on the tower of St Mary's Church at the other end of the High Street.