 In 1669 a new King 's Sun Dial was erected for Charles II , designed by Father Francis Hall , a Jesuit priest . It was an extremely elaborate construction that Hall detailed in a book , <unk> of the <unk> , that he published in 1673 to explain how it operated . It stood 3 metres ( 9 @.@ 8 ft ) high and was constructed of stone , brass and wood , with gilded ironwork and painted glass panels to accompany its 270 component dials . It resembled " a fountain of glass spheres , or a giant candelabrum with tiered , branching arms ending in crystal globes " , which showed not only the hours of the day but " many things also belonging to geography , astrology , and astronomy , by the sun 's shadow made visible to the eye . " 
