Maclear's Beacon

Maclear's Beacon is a stone cairn structure located at the eastern end of Table Mountain's plateau in Cape Town. The monument stands as a fixed point where early scientists conducted measurements to calculate Earth's dimensions.

Sir Thomas Maclear erected this stone survey marker in 1844 to measure Earth's circumference as part of his scientific work. The monument underwent restoration after it collapsed in 1929, bringing it back to its original purpose.

The beacon bears the name of Sir Thomas Maclear, the astronomer who conducted scientific measurements here during the Victorian era. Visitors can connect with this scientific heritage while standing at the structure itself on the plateau.

The beacon can be reached through several hiking trails from the cable car station with a moderate walk of about one hour across the plateau. Proper footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are important as conditions on the mountain can change quickly.

The monument is a living record of Victorian surveying methods where astronomers connected mountain peaks using optical instruments for precise measurements. These calculations formed the basis for mapping southern Africa during the 1800s.

Location: City of Cape Town

Inception: December 1, 1844

Address: Maclear's Beacon, Table Mountain (Nature Reserve), Cape Town, South Africa

GPS coordinates: -33.96683,18.42556

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:58