Signal Hill and the Noon Gun

Signal Hill pathway to the Noon Gun. Photo courtesy Danie van der Merwe

Signal Hill is a prominent landmark from which the historic noon gun is fired, and forms the “lion’s body” for the adjacent Lion’s Head mountain.

Signal Hill offers spectacular views across the Cape Town harbour, city and Atlantic Ocean, and family-friendly picnic spots that are favourites of tourists and locals all year round.

It is named for its original use: the practice of flying signal flags to communicate with nearby ships, and later firing the famous noon gun.

The gun can provide quite a startling introduction to Cape Town for first-time visitors as the distinctive boom sends birds into the sky and surprised tourists glancing around them.

In fact there are two guns (cannons, actually) on Signal Hill, a main gun and a back-up. The guns were brought to Cape Town by the British in 1795, and it is thought that they were used in combat during the Battle of Muizenberg in August 1795. They were at first housed in the Castle of Good Hope. They were transported to Signal Hill by ox wagon in 1902, where they served as time signals for ships anchored at harbour.

The cannons weigh roughly three tons, and fire 1.5kg (3lb) of gunpowder daily at noon, except on Sundays and public holidays, and members of the public are welcome to watch (from a demarcated safe distance). Since 1902, the noon gun has been fired more than 62 000 times.

You can go to watch the daily firing of the gun, or simply enjoy a cold drink or picnic (bring your own, though) from the parking lot at the end of the road, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. Afterwards you could head down into the Bo-Kaap for a meal at the Noon Gun Tea Room (+27 21 424 0529) in Longmarket Street.

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