Historic cannons restored... minus the junk
MANY HOURS have been spent repainting them – and clearing out litter stuffed into them over the decades.
Two historic sea cannons went back on display in Hull yesterday minus the junk they held prior to conservation – including a plastic bottle.
The 200-year-old cannons, which had stood outside of Hull’s Maritime Museum since the 1970s, have now been refurbished as part of the £27.4m Yorkshire Maritime City project.
A team of five volunteers spent 80 hours carefully working to conserve the two cannons, which were once carried on board the ship Richard and Harriet, and date back to 1798. Much of the time was spent removing old paint to treat the ferrous metal with a rust converter and then repainting them with a conservation grade paint.
Conservation and engagement officer for the Maritime City project, Philippa Beesley, said: “This was a hugely rewarding project to see the transformation the cannons underwent.
“It was also fascinating for me and the volunteers to learn more about the cannons through the conservation process.”
The cannons – which have now been fitted with wooden plugs called tompions–- will take pride of place outside the Museums Quarter, while a major upgrade gets under way.
The Maritime Museum, in Queen Victoria Square, is due to close next year for 12 months for a revamp.
Work will include a new central atrium and more than 8,000 square foot of new gallery space.