Have you got a cannonball in your house?

Cannon ball discovered in Horsham, 1972 SUS-150508-115122001 SUS-150508-115122001

It was discovered in 1972 when the Hop Oast roundabout was being built and the story goes that other cannonballs were found, along with clay pipes and other articles from the period.

However, they were all taken away by members of the public and no official record was ever made of the finds.

Now Horsham District Archaeology Group (HDAG) has had one of the cannonballs handed to them by a member of the public.

HDAG has informed the relevant authorities which means the canonball will now be recorded and the site may be investigated to see if there are any more.

The Horsham group is also urging people with any of the items found in 1972 to get in contact so they can be recorded.

During the Napoleonic wars there were several regiments based in Horsham, whose barracks were on the site of Horsham cricket field. The size of the cannonball suggests that it may be from this period.

HDAG says that the Horsham district is packed with archaeological discoveries.

The most recent discoveries were at Broadbridge Heath where finds ranged from the Mesolithic period (c5000BC) to the Second World War and at Southwater which showed evidence of occupation during the late Iron Age (100BC) to Romano-British and medieval periods.

HDAG is the local voluntary society for archaeology in the Horsham district and can offer advice and guidance to the public and official bodies, on the investigation and recording of all potential archaeological discoveries.

If anyone has any more information on the finds discovered at Hop Oast or any other archaeological matter, they can contact Horsham District Archaeology Group on [email protected].

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