BBC - A History of the World - Object : Meridian Line Marker

One of the markers erected in East Grinstead that delineates the line of the prime meridian. © East Grinstead Museum.

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2009 marks the 125th anniversary of the official adoption of the Greenwich Meridian line as the prime meridian.The markers were erected by East Grinstead Town Council to celebrate the Millennium. They were erected, at exactly 0 degrees longitude, on both sides of each of the town's roads through which the meridian line passes. The line also pass through the grounds of East Grinstead's internationally acclaimed Queen Victoria Hospital, where during WW2 Archibald McIndoe developed his innovative treatment of severely burnt airman. The adoption of the Greenwich meridian line as the universal prime meridian, in 1884, was not only significant for allowing sailors to calculate their exact position, but lead to the adoption of standardised national and international time. The markers are a permanent reminder that East Grinstead sits in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and gives the markers a resonance throughout the world.

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