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Nelson Monument Calton Hill |
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The Nelson Monument was erected on Calton Hill in 1816. The design chosen for the Nelson Monument, was by Robert Burns, an upturned telescope. One of the designs that was not chosen was by Alexander Nasmyth [1758-1840], one of the leading figures in the Scottish Enlightenment |
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Photographs 2002-2006 |
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The Time Ball I've found that many of the subjects of my photos seem to disappear or stop working, once I start to photograph them. The time ball on the Nelson Monument is no exception. After falling at 1pm, almost every day since 1852, the time ball, weighing 762kg, is now out of action, having suffered damage in the recent gales. Edinburgh council is to order a full detailed survey to see how it can be repaired. Council leader, Donald Anderson added: "The time ball is a nationally significant time-keeping instrument, that pre-dates the one o'clock gun and it is vital that we ensure any work carried out is done by a specialist in order for it to continue working into the next century." Edinburgh Evening News: March 16, 2007 |
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Update and Photographs June 2009 |
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The Time Ball Edinburgh Council is currently restoring the Nelson Monument. It is currently hidden by scaffolding, but should re-appear soon. As part of this restoration, the time ball and its mechanism has been restored. The time ball was removed from the monument about six weeks ago and was replaced today, June 30, 2009. The time-ball used to be painted white, but is now painted black, so it should be clearly visible against the sky. The ball is raised half way up its pole at the top of the Nelson Monument at 12.55am, then raised to the top of the pole at 12.58pm, then is allowed to fall, about 8ft, to the bottom of the pole at 1pm. The end of the fall is dampened by a plunger in a column of water. This happens daily, except when the weather is too windy or foggy. The original purpose of the time ball was to give a visible signal that the time was 1pm to the shipping in Leith Harbour and the Firth of Forth. The restoration work on the time ball has been carried out by Ritchie Clockmakers, the company that designed and constructed the time ball in 1852, and the Edinburgh brass founders, Charles Laing & Sons. Below are some photos taken when the time ball was brought back to the Nelson Monument on June 30, 2009. Please click on these thumbnail images to enlarge them. |
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Trafalgar Day October 21, 2011 |
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