Figure 6. Component parts of a pedestal

abacus: the flat slab on the top of a capital, for example, immediately under a horizontal dial on a pedestal.

aisle: the part(s) of a church running alongside the central nave. There is often a north and a south aisle, and they are usually of lesser height than the nave.

apophyge: the slight curve at the top and bottom of a column where it joins the capital or base.

apse: large semicircular or polygonal recess, arched or dome-roofed, at the end of a church.

baluster: an architectural term for the short pillars which form the supports for a balustrade. The term can be used in dialling to describe the common variety of shaft for apedestal which is bulbous towards the bottom and rises to a neck of smaller diameter, similar to that shown in Figure 6.

banded shaft: (or blocked shaft) a column broken by plain or rusticated blocks of stone.

base: part of a pedestal for a dial, it stands on the plinth and supports the column.

buttress: a mass of masonry or brickwork projecting from or built against a wall to give additional strength.

capital: the head or crowning feature of a column. Many stylised forms exist and have special names.

Figure7. A stiff leaf capital

caryatid: strictly, a sculptured female figure used as a column to support a dial, etc. It can be used more loosely for other human figures, e.g. Atlantes (male caryatids), Herms(three-quarter-length figures), and Terms (tapering columns merging at the top into human, animal or mythical figures).

chamfer: the surface made when the sharp edge (arris) of a stone block is cut away, usually at an angle of 45º to the other two surfaces. It is called a hollow chamfer when the surface is made concave.

chancel: a part of a church, at its east end and near the altar, reserved for the clergy, choir, etc.

clerestory: part of a wall of a cathedral or large church, with a series of window, above aisle roofs.

column: in classical architecture, it is a part of an Order, comprising the capital, shaft and base and is circular or square in cross-section.. This definition can also be adopted for dialling purposes.

compound column: a column comprising a number of merged or semi-merged shafts.

corbel: a projecting block, usually of stone, inserted into a wall to support, for example, a vertical dial.

crown: a decoration over the top of a vertical dial as an alternative to a pediment.

entablature: the upper part of an Order, made up of architrave, frieze, cornice etc. Loosely, everything above the capital.

finial: a formal pointed ornament on top of a canopy, gable etc. It is sometimes seen on top of a pillar dial, often in the from of a ball-and-spire or a fleur-de-lis.

Figure 8. Ball and Eagle finials

flute: a semicircular vertical groove in a pillar.

foliated: carved with a leaf ornament.

helix: a spiral motif, especially on a shaft or column.

moulding: a continuous ornamental band around a shaft, column, capital etc. There are many specially named types.

Figure 9. Ogee and reverse-ogee mouldings

nave: the body of a church, especially from the west door to the chancel and usually separated from the aisles by pillars.

obelisk: a tall tapering shaft of stone, usually monolithic with a square or rectangular section ending with a pyramidal apex. Prominent in Ancient Egypt as a solar symbol, often at the entrance to tombs or as a cult object in shrines to the sun.

Order: in classical architecture, a term used to describe a column with its base, shaft, capital and entablature, designed in one of a number of accepted modes, for example Doric or Ionic. The component description of these Orders have been adapted for dialling purposes.

pedestal: the term adopted by diallists to describe the whole structure, usually of stone, used to support a dial (most usually horizontal). See Figure 6.

pediment: a low-pitched gable, sometimes seen over the top of vertical dials. It may be open at the apex, in which case it is termed a broken-apex ~ or sometimes just a broken pediment. Versions with curved segments are called swan-neck ~.

Figure 10. Swan and broken pediments

pillar: similar to the classical column, but need not have the simple circular or square cross section.

plinth: the bottom part of a pedestal, either in direct contact with the ground or with the general horizontal surface. It is often chamfered or with a moulding around it.

Priest’s door: a door on the south-side of the chancel of a church, used by the clergy. Its surround is a common site for mass dials.

shaft: the trunk of a classical column, between the base and capital. It may be used more loosely in dialling to describe the similar section of a pedestal.

solarium: a sun terrace or loggia.

spandrel: an architectural term for the space between the shoulder of an arch and the surrounding rectangular brickwork. In dialling, the term can be used to describe the corner areas of a square dial plate with a circular chapter ring.

transept: the transverse arms of a cross-shaped church, usually between the nave and the chancel, but occasionally at the west end of the nave as well.