The story concerns an antiquary named Fanshawe who visits the country home of his wealthy friend Squire Henry Richards. Fanshawe, who is keen to explore the area, asks Richards to lend him some binoculars. The binoculars which he borrows were made by a man named Baxter, a watch-maker and amateur archaeologist who died in mysterious circumstances some years earlier. Through the binoculars, Fanshawe is able to see objects which no longer exist. He also, however, begins to have some very unpleasant experiences. "A View from a Hill" has been adapted for television.