Toposcope

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

A toposcope is a monument erected on hills, mountains or high places which indicates the direction, and usually the distance, to notable landscape features which can be seen with the naked eye from that point. They are often placed in public parks, Country parks, the grounds of stately homes or places of historical note, such as battlefields.

Toposcopes are often inscribed, and dedicated to particular people or events.

Smaller toposcopes usually consist of a circular brass plaque mounted on a stone plinth. They will have radiating lines indicating the direction to various landmarks, together with the distance, and often a pictorial representation of the landmark. One typical small toposcope is at Beacon Hill, Leicestershire.

Large toposcopes may be circular paved areas, with numerous plaques around the perimeter, each indicating a particular feature of the landscape. One large toposcope is the Toposcope at Bathurst, near Grahamstown, South Africa, which commemorates the 1820 settlements.