Pole Hill
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Pole Hill is a geographical feature on the border between Greater London and Essex.
[edit] Astronomical history
The hill stands in Epping Forest at 0 degrees longitude, and 51 degrees 38 minutes latitude. At its highest point it is 91 metres above sea level. It is chiefly noted for the fact that it lies directly on the Greenwich meridian and, being the highest point on that bearing directly visible from Greenwich, was at one time used as a marker by geographers at the observatory there to set their telescopes and observation equipment to a true zero degree bearing.
On top of the hill there are two obelisks. The larger is made of granite and bears the following inscription:
This pillar was erected in 1824 under the direction of the Reverend John Pond, MA, Astronomer Royal. It was placed on the Greenwich Meridian and its purpose was to indicate the direction of true north from the transit telescope of the Royal Observatory. The Greenwich Meridian as changed in 1850 and adopted by international agreement in 1884 as the line of zero longitude passes 19 feet to the east of this pillar.
At that point (19 feet / 5.8m east) there is a smaller concrete obelisk, which marks the true modern position of the Greenwich Meridian.
[edit] Trivia
From the top of Pole Hill there is a fine view over much of East, North and West London, although in the summer the leaves of the trees in Epping Forest have a tendency to mask much of the visibility.
Lawrence of Arabia once owned a considerable amount of land on the western side of the hill and built himself a small hut there in which he lived for several years. Nothing remains to day of this structure, however.
