Great Hill is approximately 180m (590ft) above sea level, the highest point in Torbay, once known as Telegraph Hill. The view stretches from the sea in the east over Torbay sweeping round to the South Hams and distant hills of Dartmoor. Now Great Hill is used as a reservoir, providing water for its consumers below.

• Great hill is a trig point, a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity.
• In 1825 a Popham semaphore signal station for the Admiralty’s Plymouth to London semaphore line. The station was identified as Roccombe.

The fencing was down in the SW corner which allowed access.