One of the places we went for a bit of a view, as well as some history, was Signal Hill. Here, we visited the Cabot tower, walked around a lot, and got some photos. Keeping the introduction short, so let’s go.
A brief history
For any history buffs, especially anyone who knows their wars, Signal Hill will sound familiar. It’s the location where the Seven Year’s War took place. The French captured it in June of 1672, before losing it when the English reclaimed it in September, ending the war in North America. Signal Hill played an important role as it overlooks the narrow entrance to the St. John’s Harbour.
Cabot Tower was built in 1897 in honour of John Cabot, who found who found Newfoundland. It was designed by a man by the name of William Howe Greene, an architect in St. John’s Newfound. It was a fortress used by soldiers and signalmen. Today, it’s a great tourist spot.
My visit
Rosie and I didn’t plan on visiting Cabot Tower, initially. We had found a hiking trail at Signal Hill that we wanted to check out. It was a cooler day, perfect for hiking. We packed some snacks and water, grabbed our shoes and headed to the trail. It was beautiful and overlooked the water in some places. We even found this little place that reminded Rosie of the Boxcar Kids, for those of you who remember reading the Boxcar Children books. From one of the vantage points we could see Cabot Tower. After the hike, as we only picked a short one, we decided that because we had plenty of time, we would go and check it out.
Cabot Tower
When we arrived at Cabot Tower, the fog had actually gotten pretty thick. We got to see some cannons, walked the walkway for a bit and then went inside. There was a little gift shop, but it was packed, so we decided to up top. The stairway was narrow and only one person at a time could go. They also wound around and the stairs themselves were narrow, so you had to really look to make sure no one was coming from the opposite side. Before you exited onto the roof, the hall was narrow, so it got quite cramped. I remember saying to Rosie that I wonder how the soldiers did this back in the day. I can’t imagine running those to get to your station in an emergency.
Once we got on the roof, you could see the surrounding area. Well, you could if it was a clear day. The fog did obscure a lot of the view. It was still pretty cool to stand on the roof of this tower and imagine what it must have been like back in the day.
Other highlights
There were some things that Rosie and I didn’t get to experience because of the time of day we went, as well as the fact that we couldn’t hike too much with my ankle and her foot. We’re just broken people. There is a noon day cannon firing that they do. You can watch this if you happen to be around. There are also more hiking trails, one that takes you to the Battery and back. There were many little trails at Signal hill and there is lots to see and do, so I highly recommend going there if you ever find yourself in Newfoundland.
Until next time
Well, that’s all for today. Newfoundland had so much to offer with activities and places to see and there was just no way to experience all of it in 2 weeks, especially because I didn’t save up a lot. I seem to do that every time I plan to go away for some strange reason. You think I would learn. Oh well. There are still at least two more blogs on Newfoundland coming and then I think I’ll have to move on. I will link where I found the history of Signal Hill and Cabot tower below if you want to know more. So, until the next one I want you to remember that anything can happen if you try.
https://www.historicsites.ca/signal-hill
