Sundial at Skeagh House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A decorated square stone column surmounted by an octagonal engraved bronze sundial, relocated in the early twentieth-century and formerly situated on the site of the Cowan Heron Hospital (HB17/12/028A). Stone shaft with chamfered base is approximately one metre high and sits on a pavoired plinth. Shaft has square panel-moulding and is fluted with a dog-tooth frieze. Square cap has octagonal engraved sundial with decorative gnomon.

Historical information

The square sundial located at Skeagh House, a care home for the elderly, was originally situated at the Cowan Heron Hospital to the south of Dromore in the townland of Drumbroneth (HB17/12/028A). The cottage hospital was erected at the personal expense of William Cowan Heron (c. 1820-1917) of Altafort (HB17/14/004), a local magistrate and businessman (Ulster Town Directory 1901). The hospital was opened in 1900 and until his death in 1917 Heron continued to make, and meet the cost of, improvements and repairs to the hospital. It is not known when the sundial was erected at the original site as it is not depicted on either the third or fourth editions of the Ordnance Survey map in 1903 and 1919-20, however it is possible that the sundial was installed at the hospital prior to Herons death.

The current edition of the Ordnance Survey map (c. 1970) may depict the sundial to the south-east side of the hospital where a small square structure is depicted, however this cannot be confirmed. The more likely original location is to the north-east side of the hospital where a circular platform (now empty) is situated.

The sundial was listed in 1993 (as part of a group incorporating the hospital) and continued to be located at the Cowan Heron Hospital until the facilities closure in 1994. With the conversion of the hospital into apartments, the sundial was relocated to the grounds of Skeagh House which had been established c. 1980. Shortly after it was relocated the First Survey described the sundial as ‘a decorated square stone column, approximately 1 metre high, supporting an octagonal engraved bronze sundial with decorated gnomon.’

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/21/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
2. PRONI OS/6/3/21/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1903
3. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-1920
4. Ulster Town Directory (1901)
5. Ordnance Survey Map – 202-8SW (c. 1970)
6. Ordnance Survey Map - 202-3 (1973)
7. First Survey Record – HB17/12/028A-C (1993)
8. First Survey Record – HB17/15/048 (c. 1994)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An early twentieth-century stone sundial formerly erected in the grounds of the Cowan Memorial Hospital (HB17/12/028A), now situated in the grounds of Skeagh House in Dromore. Moulded stone shaft surmounted by a square cap with octagonal bronze sundial having decorative gnomon. It has lost its original setting and any landscape features associated with it. Although an interesting example of a sundial of some artistic and craft value, and having links to a local person of note (William Cowan Heron), it is no longer directly associated with the Hospital and is not among the best examples of the type.