Home Functions of the Clock Like many early clocks Richard’s did not have hands showing the time. In the early 14^th Century minutes were not as important as they are today. Most workers toiled on the land and only needed a rough idea of time - which they could gauge from the position of the sun in the sky. The activities of the Benedictine monks at St Albans were, however, strictly timetabled - centred primarily around work and prayer. For this purpose a device was needed which would strike at every hour of the day and this is the function of the first part of the Wallingford Clock - the timepiece or horological section. In addition to sounding the hours this first part of the clock also provides the drive for an astronomical section which shows in real time the following:
	The positions of stars which are visible from St Albans as well as those which are about to rise above the horizon and those which have recently set. The stars are depicted on a disc which rotates behind a fixed grid of concentric circles representing the Celestial Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn with - between them - the Celestial Equator. The Meridian line is shown plus a curved line which represents the visible horizon. The horizon is curved, rather than flat as we see it because it represents the limit of our view of the sky from St Albans, but from the perspective of a position above the universe.
The true longitudinal position of the sun is depicted by an engraved disc which rotates outside the sky wheel. A numbered grill enables the sun’s symbol to indicate the current time as would be shown on a sundial.
	A sphere representing the moon also travels around the outside of the sky wheel in its correct position in relation to the sun. One side of the moon is painted white and the other side black so that the phase of the moon can be seen as well as the moon’s position.
This section also predicts the occurrence of a lunar eclipse. A symbol representing a mythical dragon chases the moon around the circumference of the sky. Usually the moon changes its position to dodge the dragon. However on the occasion when a lunar eclipse occurs the moon disappears under a disc representing the earth’s shadow which gives the impression that the dragon has, true to legend, eaten the moon.