There will be no shortage of things to see and do when exploring Cape Town, but don’t count out the things to hear!
Be sure to be all ears during your trip because there is something quite unique to the Mother City.
You might wonder what that loud bang is every day at noon.
Discover the Mother City’s Noon Gun
That loud bang might make you startle at first, but it’s only the Noon Gun at Lion Battery on Signal Hill. The Noon Gun is, in fact, two cannons, 18-pound smoothbore muzzle-loaders. One extra is on standby in case the first one doesn’t fire. They have been firing for over two centuries, reportedly starting in February 1806.
Their origins trace back to 1786, when Captain Thomas Blomfield designed them. And then in 1794, they were cast by Walker & Company in London. They were reportedly brought to Cape Town in 1795 when the British occupied the Cape.
They were initially stationed at Imhoff Battery, located near the Castle of Good Hope, and later at the Castle. They were relocated to a more remote site at Signal Hill in 1902 due to noise levels, and have been firing ever since. There have been a few exceptions when they missed a day or the exact time. For the most part, they are on time every day. This is thanks to an electrical trigger that is sent from the South African Astronomical Observatory.
The cannons are reportedly the oldest working guns in the world. Additionally, their firing is one of the oldest traditions still going strong in Cape Town. Some of its original uses were to alert ships of the time, and later as a wartime commemoration. They are now fired to mark the passage of time, and undoubtedly as a signal of this historic tradition.
The Noon Gun fires every day except on Sundays and public holidays. Currently, it’s unclear whether it’s open to the public, but be sure to keep an ear out for when it will be open. In the meantime, you can take a trip up to Signal Hill or Table Mountain and enjoy the magnificent views while being notified of lunchtime in the grandest of ways!
