1887 was Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee year, and on June 21st beacon fires were lit all over the country to celebrate.
“At Lowbury-hill, Reading, 40 fires [lit on other hills] were counted, and 1,000 people from all the surrounding parishes sang “God Save the Queen” with great enthusiasm around the fire. A traction engine drew two truckfuls of people to the top of the hill..
..there must have been 2,000-3,000 fires [countrywide] at least. The most striking and the most beautiful sight was the instantaneous bursting into view of all these fires when the signal was given, proving, if proof were necessary, the former value of beacon fires..”
From a letter to the Times by Victor Milward, on Tuesday, Jun 28, 1887; pg. 8.