The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Does anyone know the history of the wood and iron relic lying in the middle of the Coppice? It is commonly referred to as the 'Gun Carriage' but could be the remnants of some old farm equipment. I believe that there was at one time a cannon on the top of the Coppice but I don't remember it in my lifetime.
If this relic is as old as it looks, whatever it may once have been, perhaps a local school could start a project to identify it and research its history. Also, if its original form could be determined, maybe the students at Accy and Rossendale College could have a project to restore it. It could then be placed permanently in a prominent position on the Coppice for all to see (Accy's mini opticon?).

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

All this has been discussed before in Heritage & History.
It would be a waste of good timber making a replica trunion.
The cannons that used to rest on them, were melted down in WW2.
There were also some cannons in Oak Hill Park, they were removed to make way for the War Memorial.
Retlaw

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Sorry if my question has re-awakened an old thread but the topic cropped up recently in conversation with other dog walkers who regularly walk on the Coppice and is therefore current for me. Although not specifically stated in your reply, I take it that the general concensus is that the relic is in fact the remains of the cannon which once stood on the Coppice. The melting down of the actual cannon barrel fits in with the mass removal of park and garden railings to be melted for the war effort.
By the way, trunnions are the iron pivot lugs protruding from each side of a cannon barrel. The wooden structure is called the carriage and personally I don't agree that restoring it would be a waste of good timber. I still think it would be an interesting historical project for a local school or college but that's just my opinion. Anyone else got an opinion?

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Yes, I too got taken aback by the word trunnion used in that context.

I think a restoration or replication would be a good thing, a bit of hands-on history, but then I am probably biased. Way back I was involved in something similar - I worked as a conservator for the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth and was one of a team who cleaned the bronze cannons recovered from the wreck. An original gun carriage was also recovered and a replica was made. We also had a fibreglass replica of one of the cannon made - much lighter for taking around for display purposes!

The Mary Rose - Armament - Page 4 of 9 - Guns

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

The plural of cannon is cannon. Not many people know that ( Michael Caine)

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Quite right Bob. If you read my post above you will see I have used both cannon and cannons so mea culpa for getting it wrong once!

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

I'd like to see a restoration project being undertaken.

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

If I'm not mistaken those 3 Cannon/Cannons were put on the Coppice from Oak Hill Park, when the War Memorial was built, I remember sitting on the barrel of one of them before the war, then when the panic started at the outbreak of WW2, we weren't allowed up the Coppice for ages, whilst they were digging those ditches to stop Jerry invading, (look on Google Earth & theres the outline of over 2 dozen), the cannons vanished, but the wooden carriages remained. Whats the point of such a restoration, if you put it on the Coppice, the local yobbery will just smash it up, you could put it outside the market for the local drunks to sit on.
Retlaw.

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

It would be shame on us if we let the yobs rule our actions.

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Thanks for the support. A fibreglass replica of the cannon barrel would be a brilliant completion to the project.
Anyone know of any old photographs of the cannon which could be used as a basis for the restoration?

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Somewhere in one of my boxes unpacked since we moved five years ago I have an old postcatd of the cannons on the Coppice. I'll have to see if I can dig it out but I'm sure I've seen the same pic on the www somewhere.

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

There are old postcards of the said cannons when they were in Oak Hill Park. Can't recall any of them when they were on the Coppice, will have to check. From what I can remember, they were aprox 8 ft long about 4" bore.
Retlaw.

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

I have found the PC, sent from 188 Stanley Street on 12 September 1912. I will try and get it scanned tomorrow if poss.

Meanwhile here is a picture of one of the cannon in Corporation Park, Blackburn.

Corporation Park's 150 Years

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'
 

Found a postcard of the Cannons when they were in Oak Hill.
John Kelly would know about them when they were on the Coppice, and if there are any photos. John salvaged part of one of the carriages some years ago, trouble is John is very ill at the moment and is unavailable.
Retlaw

Re: The Coppice 'Gun Carriage'