Pole Hill's Inaccurate Obelisk

The site of a massive stone pillar put in the wrong place!

Location: Pole Hill, Chingford

Description: There are two obelisks here.

There is a small concrete obelisk, marking the true modern position of the Greenwich Meridian.

And there is the original large granite pillar here which has a plaque reading:

THIS PILLAR WAS ERECTED IN 1824 UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE REVEREND JOHN POND MA, ASTRONOMER ROYAL. IT WAS PLACED IN 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.

Ooops!

Themes: Ancient Ancient Theme