Cave Hill

All our prints are printed on a premium, 170gsm, silk, recycled FSC (Forest Stewardship Commissioned) paper.

Our postcards are printed on a premium, double-sided 350gsm silk-board.

Cave Hill is a basaltic hill overlooking Belfast which rises 368 metres (1207ft) above sea level. All of Belfast can be seen from its peak, as can the Isle of Man and Scotland on clear days. The hill is distinguished by its ‘Napoleon’s Nose’, a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the emperor Napoleon. It is thought to be the inspiration for Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Swift imagined that it resembled the shape of a sleeping giant safeguarding the city. The site gains its name from its three large man-made caves which, it is thought, were excavated for iron-mining. The hill was known as ‘Madigan’s Peak’, so named after a king of Ulster called Madagan. On 1 June 1944, an American Air Force B-17 bomber crashed into Cave Hill during heavy fog, killing all ten crew instantly. The incident inspired Richard Attenborough's film, Closing the Ring. The hill is now home to popular tourist attractions including Cave Hill Country Park, Belfast Zoo and Belfast Castle.