After some 150 years, the Charlestown Battery has now been equipped with a pair of replica 24 pounder Blomefield Cannons, each about 10 feet long, to demonstrate clearly the original purpose of the Battery. In the late eighteenth century when Charles Rashleigh created the Harbour, the Napoleonic wars were threatening our coast, and he built the Battery to ensure that the Harbour would be protected against invasion. The armament evolved gradually to include heavier guns, manned by the Charlestown Militia, and these new cannons faithfully reflect the reality that Rashleigh had faced when he first planned his unique harbour.
This new project, first envisaged in 2008 in discussion with Richard Larn, a well regarded Charlestown historian, was finally enabled when an order was placed last year with Irons Brothers Foundry at Wadebridge, and the finished products were recently delivered to Messrs. Macsalvors Plant Hire for eventual delivery and installation. In order to reach the site, the cannons first had to be offloaded onto a tractor and trailer with the kind assistance of farmer Anthony Hart, so that they could be moved up through the farm fields to reach the Battery. The installation process itself was complicated, because the cannons and their carriages each weigh about 4 tons, and had to be lifted clear above the Battery Wall, a Grade II listed building.
Andy Trudgian, Chairman of the Charlestown History Group said “I feel privileged to have played a part in this project, and to see a pair of cannons back within the walls of the gun battery. On behalf of all those who have an interest in local history, I’d like to thank the Atalaya Trust for this commitment that enables visitors to easily understand the vital defensive role the battery played in the early success of Charlestown.”
Chairman of Trustees, Ali Browning, greatly appreciated the huge amount of co-operation received from the Charlestown Harbour team, Macalvors, Cornwall Council, Councillor James Mustoe, Cormac Countryside Rangers, Farmer Antony Hart, the Charlestown History Group and Irons Brothers, all helping to bring this important project to a successful and lasting conclusion.
The White Ensign deployed for ‘Installation Day’ is an original Naval flag, kindly lent for the occasion from His Majesty’s Naval Base at Devonport.