I was out today and come across this fantastic Cannon so i thought i would give it a scan, and it just so happens it also has a great story behind it ..
Scanned using the Creality Otter Lite, it took about 10 minutes to do as i went over it twice and slow, the underneath of the Cannon was tricky but i found away to get it
THE STORY OF THE HALE VILLAGE CANNON
Found right outside the Village Hall, this 200 year old gun has a wild history of survival. Here is the breakdown:
Cast by Fawcett, Preston & Co. in Liverpool around 1800. It was originally used on merchant ships (brigantines) to defend against pirates. You can still see the “F” stamped on the side pivot!
Long ago, it was being hauled to Widnes to be melted for scrap. While passing through Hale, it fell off the transport wagon. The village decided to keep it, and it sat outside the old drill hall for years.
During WWII, the government demanded all metal be scrapped for Spitfires and tanks. To save the cannon, Hale residents secretly buried it underground near the drill hall to hide it from the authorities!
After the war, it was forgotten until local kids found it while playing. It was eventually dug up and spent years in a private garden before the community campaigned to bring it back to public view.
In June 2022, for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, the cannon was finally restored with a brand new carriage built by the Queen’s official wheelwright.
It now sits on the very spot where it was once hidden. A true survivor of The Village!
