Cape Spear and Signal Hill

A quick flight and I was now in St. John's ... and low and behold there was blue sky and sun when I woke up this morning.  I thought I'd take advantage of the good weather and do some sightseeing in places that really do require nice weather - Cape Spear and Signal Hill.

Cape Spear is the eastern most point in North America, and is surrounded by cliffs and spectacular waves... and when I first got there - FOG as well.  It was absolutely beautiful weather driving out there until about half a kilometre away and you could see the fog rolling in.  So for the beginning of my visit the Cape was shrouded in fog and the fog horn was sounding, but after some time spent waiting and enjoying a bit of the hiking trails, the fog cleared and view was spectacular.

 The view from Cape Spear - with the fog rolling in 

 Canada begins, or ends, here - at Cape Spear

The Cape Spear Lighthouse was originally built in 1835 by the Colony of Newfoundland to signal mariners on the approach to St. John's Harbour, and the Cape Spear Lighthouse was in continuous operation from 1836 to 1955.  From 1955 a second lighthouse has stood at Cape Spear and is still in use today.  The historic building currently at Cape Spear has been acquired by Parks Canada and restored to its 1835 - 1840 appearance.

 The lighthouse currently in use - in the fog

 and again when the fog cleared

The restored lighthouse as it would have looked in the mid 1800s

Cape Spear also played a crucial role during the Second World War when it contained a coastal defence battery equipped with two 10' guns, built to protect the entrance of St. John's Harbour.  From 1941 to 1945, Canadian and U.S. troops occupied Fort Cape Spear.

Originally known as the "Lookout", Signal Hill has been used for defence, observation and signalling since the early 1700's.  This historic site also contains a spectacular view of St. John's and the sea.  Signal Hill was the reception point of the first transatlantic wireless signal by Guglielmo Marconi in 1901, as well as the site of harbour defences for St. John's from the 18th century to the Second World War.

Queen's Battery Barracks was one of the many structure, with the Battery itself, constructed throughout the history of St. John's to prevent hostile ships from entering the harbour.  The reconstruction seen today dates to the period of the 1860s, a time of heightened tensions between Great Britain and the United States.

Cabot Tower was built in 1897 to commemorate 400 years since John Cabot discovered Newfoundland.  Cabot Tower is an iconic building, visible from many places within the city and surrounding area.  The Duke of York Battery was part of the fortifications built on top of Signal Hill during the 1800s to act as a point of last retreat if the town was ever captured.  The Noon Day Gun stands beside the battery and is fired on a regular basis in the summer.  This long standing tradition of a "noon day gun" started in the mid 1800s