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louthytoday at 7:47 PM2 repliesview on HN

I’m sure we’ll go back to beacons [1] here in the UK

”Using fire to signify a message is thousands of years old. The earliest use of beacons in the UK dates back to the medieval period, primarily as a means of communication to warn of impending invasions or other dangers. Positioned on hilltops and along coastlines, these beacons were part of an early warning system signalling the presence of a threat, such as an approaching enemy fleet.

One of the most famous early examples is the network of beacons used during the Spanish Armada in 1588. As around 150 Spanish battleships approached, beacons were lit along the southern coast of England, from Cornwall to London. As a result of this rudimentary but effective system Lord Francis Drake had the time to mobilise the country’s defences and defeat the Spanish fleet before they were able to reach the English shore.”

[1] https://www.paintersforstal.co.uk/news/the-history-of-beacon...


Replies

dmoytoday at 8:32 PM

150 battleships?

Pretty sure the Spanish Armada was <150 total ships, of which only a small subset would be the big galleon things. (And then my knowledge hits a wall, idk what the difference between a galleon and ship-of-the-line/battleship is)

I'm not sure how much to trust the rest of that website.

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FridayoLearytoday at 8:42 PM

I think you mean Sir Francis Drake.

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