Scholse Kloof – Colour Dots https://www.colourdots.co.za Explore The Western Cape Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:40:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.colourdots.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cropped-cropped-home_logo_150-1-32x32-1-100x100.png Scholse Kloof – Colour Dots https://www.colourdots.co.za 32 32 Signal hill https://www.colourdots.co.za/listings/signal-hill/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 13:11:15 +0000 https://www.colourdots.co.za/?post_type=job_listing&p=28735 Signal Hill is at the Northern tip of the terrestrial area of the Table Mountain National Park. Standing next to Lion’s Head alongside Table Mountain, this 350 m high hill is also called Lion’s Rump or the Lion’s Flan. The view of Signal Hill along with Lion’s head, looks very much like a  sphinx. Signal Hill offers beautiful views over the city and the Harbour. It is also one of the most famous spots in Cape Town for sundowners, watching Sunset over the Atlantic;  and spectacular nighttime views especially when Table Mountain is lit up during Summer.. In the past this Hill was used as a point from which signal flags were used to communicate with ships. Today Signal Hill is the home of the Noon-day gun. The flags were used for weather warnings as well as anchoring instructions to ensure that the ships were effectively prepared for stormy weather while in the bay. The Hill was also the lookout point for the early settlers, and when a ship was spotted, flags were lifted to give the inhabitants of Cape Town below enough time to set up their goods for sale. Signal hill Important numbers to have when visiting Table Mountain National Park venues Emergencies:021 480 7700 Medical emergencies from a cellphone:112 Table Mountain National Park: 021 957 4700/ 0861 106 417 Wilderness Search and Rescue: 021 948 9900  

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]]> The Noon Day Gun https://www.colourdots.co.za/listings/the-noon-day-gun/ Tue, 08 Jun 2021 12:47:15 +0000 https://www.colourdots.co.za/?post_type=job_listing&p=26819 The Noon Day Gun When the English occupation of the Cape ended in 1795, the Dutch guns were replaced by  English cannons which were bigger. The noonday gun is a 12-pounder field gun used in the First World War and as early as The Anglo Boer War. Since 1806, without fail, a shot has been fired from the cannon on Signal Hill at noon every day. The tradition continue,s and the shot is loaded by the South African Navy and heard by residents at 12 sharp. The noonday gun is the oldest tradition in Cape Town, and visitors can visit the site to watch the firing of the cannon. Originally the cannons were fired to signal when ships came into the harbour. With better communication, this was no longer needed. The guns were fired at noon precisely as a timekeeping signal. The loud bang helped everyone set their watches to the correct time. To avoid any mishaps two cannons are loaded in case one does not go off. Sometimes the damp weather causes the gunpowder to get wet and therefore it does not ignite. An abandoned bunker and the Lion Battery are nearby. The battery, constructed in 1898, was operational in both World Wars. Originally, there were BL 9.2-inch guns but these were moved to Robben Island. Eventually, the battery had three 6-inch Mark XIX field guns.                   One master mariner, it was said, climbed the hill to Lion Battery and found an old naval rating in charge of the gun. “Where do you get your time from ? ” inquired the captain. “Look through my telescope, and you’ll see a clock outside a jeweller’s shop in Adderley Street,” replied the gunner. “That clock is always dead right.” The next day, the captain walked into the jeweller’s shop and asked the jeweller how he was able to check his wonderful clock. “Easy,” replied the jeweller. ” I set it by the noon gun.” Extract from Book by Lawrence Green, I HEARD THE OLD MEN SAY – 1964 Military Road, Scholse Kloof

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