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Signal Hill, St. John's

Hills of CanadaHistory museums in CanadaHistory of St. John's, Newfoundland and LabradorLandforms of Newfoundland and LabradorLandforms of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Military and war museums in CanadaMilitary forts in Newfoundland and LabradorMilitary history of NewfoundlandMuseums in St. John's, Newfoundland and LabradorNational Historic Sites in Newfoundland and LabradorUse Canadian English from April 2023
Cabot Tower, St. John's, Newfoundland, South facing side
Cabot Tower, St. John's, Newfoundland, South facing side

Signal Hill is a hill which overlooks the harbour and city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The majority of Signal Hill, including Cabot Tower, is designated a National Historic Site. The highest point, Ladies' Lookout, is 167 m (548 ft) high. Due to its strategic placement overlooking the Narrows, the only entrance to the harbour, fortifications date back to the mid 17th century. On 12 December 1901, the first transatlantic wireless transmission was received there by Guglielmo Marconi. Adjacent to the National Historic site is the Johnson Geo Centre and Johnson Geo Vista Park. The community of The Battery lies on the slope of the hill overlooking the harbour, and Memorial University of Newfoundland has a campus on the lower slopes, in the former Battery Hotel.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Signal Hill, St. John's (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Signal Hill, St. John's
Burma Road Trail, St. John's

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Wikipedia: Signal Hill, St. John'sContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 47.573611111111 ° E -52.683611111111 °
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Burma Road Trail

Burma Road Trail
A1A 3T3 St. John's
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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Cabot Tower, St. John's, Newfoundland, South facing side
Cabot Tower, St. John's, Newfoundland, South facing side
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The Narrows, St. John's
The Narrows, St. John's

The Narrows, is the only passage from the Atlantic Ocean to St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland, bordered north and south by steep rock walls. A skilled captain is required to navigate large ships through the Narrows, known as “threading the eye of the needle”. The channel has a least depth of 11 metres and at its narrowest point near Chain Rock is 61 metres wide. From at least circa 1830, metal rings were set into the rock on either side of the Narrows so that boats could "warp in" and be hauled along to clear the cliffs and dangerous rocks in the water. In 1855, work began to blast away the submerged top of the Merlin Rock to make a safer passage for steam ships.The Narrows has served an important defense of the city of St. John’s from early pirates and settlers in 1655 to World War II. In 1655 vice admiral Christopher Martin erected a fort on the south side to prevent privateers and enemy vessels from entering the port. In the mid 17th century, fortifications, known as Signal Hill, were built on a north-side hill, affording a view of the Narrows and the harbor. In 1763 Fort Amherst was built in the same area. In the late 18th century a defensive chain was erected across the narrows from Chain Rock to Pancake Rock which could be raised in the event of enemy ships advancing into the harbour. During World War II a steel mesh was installed to prevent enemy submarines from entering the harbor. The Fort Amherst Lighthouse, now a heritage site, was erected at South Head, at the entrance to the Narrows to guide approaching vessels.The south side of the Narrows was referred to as South Battery before 1800, then the residential fishing community was known as Southside East, and finally Fort Amherst, St. John's, which includes the historic lighthouse.