Description
Head up Signal Hill to see the the oldest guns in daily use in the world! Cape Town’s oldest living tradition is the Noon Gun, fired every day at 12 pm sharp, except Sundays and public holidays. The 18-pounder, smoothbore muzzle-loaders are still in use today!
These are the oldest cannons in daily use in the world.
There are actually two on top of the Signal Hill overlooking Table Bay, one is a back-up should the other misfire.
The Noon Gun originated so that ships which had been at sea and lost track of the correct time could re-set their clocks. Even quite far out at sea they could hear the sound, and if not, they would still see the puff of smoke and could work it out from there.
Today the sound of this daily Cape Town tradition echoes through the City Bowl, and Capetonians check their watches with a smile. You can watch the daily ritual up on Signal Hill at Lion Battery, from 11:30. To get there head up Military Street in the Bo-Kaap to the Noon Gun. Look for for the sign-post on Buitengracht Street.
Noon Gun Map
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In and Around
Customer Reviews
Reviews
1
of
1
hanna soares
South Africa
It was wonderful to hear the gun at close range. But I'm a South Africkan citisen im very dissapointed in the way the base look like people only come the to see the Noon Gun went of they also want to explose the base. The toilets are clean but the siteseing is in a poor condition. Isnt there a way that they can clean up the place. I want to go down where the halls and roos was you cant go in there its full of rubbish and dark. Come on people its an attraction site for many people, clean up the place and let the people see the historical room underneath the guns. There is so many visitor there its shameful to see the place falling apart.
17 January 2013
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Noon Gun
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
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