Signal Hill - Cape Town
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Parking Area and start of hikes Singnal Hill plus paragliding take-off |
The famed hill that now acts as a pretty perch from
which to see the Mother City’s splendid views was not always a hotspot for
evening drives. In years come and gone, Signal Hill was used to announce the
arrival of visitors in Cape Town.
The signal guns that now call Lion Battery on
Signal Hill home were once part of the regular artillery at Imhoff Battery at
the Castle in Cape Town but when the Cape was occupied by the British in 1806,
the Dutch guns were moved to Signal Hill. They fired their first shot on the
hill on August 4, 1902.
In these days, many knew Cape Town as “The Tavern
of the Seas” and sailing ships would dock from far and wide to replenish their
travel rations.
With no phones or telegraphs to announce visitors
to the seaside town, the sound of guns were relied on to let residents know a
new ship had arrived. This purpose did not last long as it was discontinued
when modern communication replaced it.
Luckily for Signal Hill, this was not the only duty
on its list. The guns were also tasked with firing a Time Signal since 1806
before the guns were even placed on the slope. According to tradition the guns allowed
ships in the port to check the accuracy of their Marine Chronometers which
helped them calculate longitude.
Hiking in Signal Hill |
Ships would mark their time by the puff of smoke
seen from the guns rather then the sound of the shot, for this reason the guns
had to be perfectly positioned above the Cape Town Harbour. This method has
changed somewhat over the years.
Once the Galvanic Telegraph was invented it became
possible to trigger a gun remotely and since 1864 the Noon Gun has been fired
from the Master Clock of the oldest timekeeper in the country, the South
African Astronomical Observatory.
Interestingly enough one day in June 1895 the gun
fired at 10.30am instead of its usual 12pm when a spider interfered with the
relay used to fire the gun. Over the years the hill became associated with
signalling whether it was for arriving ships or specific times of the day and
so it became known as Signal Hill.
The road along Signal hill offers glorious views of Cape Town |
The guns used to signal noon are among the oldest
in the world, they are 18-pounder, smoothbore muzzle-loaders and represent an
important tradition in Cape history. To this day everyday at noon sharp the
guns are fired, except on Sundays or Public Holidays. They are actively
maintained by the South African Navy.
Over the years, many remarkable things have
happened as a result of firing the guns on Signal Hill. Many decades ago it is
said a horse was once killed in the city when a rammer used to trap the charge
into the muzzle of the gun was left in the bore of the Cannon, causing it to
fly down into the city and strike a horse when it was fired.
Robben Island from Signal Hill |
In January 2005, both the main gun and the Backup
Gun failed to fire due to technical difficulty, making it the first time in
over 100 years when the Noon Gun did not fire on schedule.
Published by Aimee Pace on February 18, 2020
Sea Point and surrounds from Signal Hill, Cape Town |
For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa