Jacob's Ladder is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

staircase A stairwell or stair room is a room in a building where a stair is located, and is used to connect walkways between floors so that one can move in height. Collectively, a set of stairs and a stairwell is referred to as a staircase or stairway ...

leading from

Jamestown, Saint Helena Jamestown is the capital city of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, located on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is also the historic main sett ...

, up the side of Ladder Hill to Ladder Hill Fort. The name is a reference to the biblical

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder () is a ladder or staircase leading to Heaven that was featured in a dream the Biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of the dream has been de ...

, a ladder extending to heaven. The ladder is all that remains of a

cable railway A cable railway is a railway that uses a Wire rope, cable, rope or chain to haul trains. It is a specific type of cable transportation. The most common use for a cable railway is to move vehicles on a Grade (slope), steeply graded line that is t ...

that was built there in the early 1800s. Its tracks and cars were later removed, although the stairs have remained in place and have become a tourist attraction connecting Jamestown and the suburb of

Half Tree Hollow Half Tree Hollow is the smallest by area of the eight districts of the island of Saint Helena, part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a suburb of Jamestown and i ...

at the top of the hill.

History and description

Designed by the local engineer J. W. Hoar, the Saint Helena Railway Company built a two-car inclined plane, -long, in 1829 to carry cargo between Jamestown and the fort. The cars rode on a pair of iron-plated fir rails, laid on wooden sleepers anchored into the rock of the valley wall, that were separated by a staircase of 700 steps for pedestrians. The angle of ascent varied between 39 and 41 degrees. Motive power was provided by a team of three donkeys at the top that rotated a capstan connected to the cars by an iron chain and

pulley Sheave without a rope A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft enabling a taut cable or belt passing over the wheel to move and change direction, or transfer power between itself and a shaft. A pulley may have a groove or grooves between flan ...

Termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

damage to the sleepers caused the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

to remove the cars, rails and associated machinery in 1871, and it is now known as Jacob's Ladder. Subsequent roadwork covered one step so that only 699 remain. Lights were installed along the sides of the stairs in 2000 and the steps were refurbished in 2006. The staircase has been declared a Grade I listed structure. During the island's annual "Festival of Running", a timed run takes place up Jacob's Ladder, with people coming from around the world to take part. , the record time to ascend the stairs is 5 minutes, 16.78 seconds.

Gallery

File:Looking down from the top of Jacob's Ladder at night.jpg, Looking down at night File:Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown just behind the Saint Helena Museum.jpg, Foot of the ladder in Jamestown File:Jacobs Ladder viewed from the harbour of Jamestown.jpg, From the harbour File:Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown March 2020.jpg, View while climbing File:Jacob's Ladder behind HM Prison in Jamestown Saint Helena.jpg, From behind the prison File:Plaque about Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown.jpg, Plaque in Jamestown

References

External links

*{{commonscat-inline, Jacob's Ladder (Saint Helena), Jacob's Ladder Transport in Saint Helena Rail transport in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Jamestown, Saint Helena Grade I listed buildings in Saint Helena Stairways Railway lines opened in 1829 Railway lines closed in 1871

History and description

Gallery

See also

References

External links