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A toposcope is a monument erected on hills or high places which indicates the direction, and usually the distance, to notable features which can be seen from that point. They are often placed in public 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 pictoral 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 perimiter, each indicating a particular feature of the landscape. One large toposcope is the Toposcope at Bathurst, near Grahamstown, South Africa, which commemmorates the 1820 settlements.
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