It was a Cannon...
Well I hope you all had a very pleasant Christmas break, myself I've had a very odd month of December business wasn't great, weather pretty awful and the train operating company I use decided to terminate the train I was on at Plymouth rather than at my actual train stop for no apparent reason.
The Twelve Bollards of Christmas have been shelved until next year. If you were looking forward to the many other posts it'll be December 2013 before they actually make an appearance. So please accept my apologies and rest assured any #guestbollards sent to me will be used over the coming weeks/months.
It is often said that "every cloud has a silver lining" well the cloud that followed me to the West Country must be lined with gold (not just water). Shortly before arranging my travel/tickets I received an email from a gentleman called Julian who happens to live/work in Deptford South East London. The email bowled me over for it contained the pictures/photographs you can see (above/below) of an actual 'Saker' cannon (circa 1630) that was used has a bollard in the Tooley Street (SE1) area of London, possibly by the Thames.
The cannon/bollard had been dumped in an area close to the Thames and upon site clearance was found and kindly given to Julian to salvage. Just look at the cannon ball (below) that was rammed down the barrel. I often mention 'cannon ball top' finish on those bollards that replicate cannons.
Here's the Cannon ball that was rammed down the barrel...
If anyone does know anything about this cannon/bollard please feel free to email me and I'll forward your emails/messages to Julian in Deptford.
If you look at the pictures/photographs (below) you'll notice some work is being carried out on one of the trunnions (What's a trunnion ? Simple answer is a protruding object used to mount an item/object onto a frame.).
It became a bollard somewhere in the Tooley Street area SE1...
A Cannon....
If we look at the excellent engineering drawings (below) by Richard Endsor he dates the 'Saker' cannon circa 1630 with a defaced rose and crown cypher. The English Civil War started in 1642...
I must thank once again Patrick Baty and Martin Evans for the wonderful information/advice they gave me regarding these pictures/photographs. Julian of Deptford you have sent me the ultimate #guestbollard (cannon) and may I wish you all the best with the work you are doing researching this piece of local/national history. Who knows what or whom may have walked/sailed past this bollard and what or whom this cannon may have been aimed/fired at ?
Excellent engineering drawings by Richard Endsor...
Bollards of London (wishing you all the best for 2013)...