Royal Navy Cannon Makes Explosive Christmas Gift

A 290-year-old Royal Navy cannon that once stood guard outside a Tudor manor has been sold - as a Christmas present.

The war relic was dredged up from the Medway mud 30 years ago and stood proudly in a manor's garden on the Isle of Sheppey.

But Geoff Fray, 71, and his partner Jo Kavanagh, 52, have now reluctantly sold the weapon as they moved to a new house.

The cannon, complete with a cannonball embedded in its muzzle, has a King George II mark on it, was sold at auction for £3,400.

Jo said: “After the Dutch invasion of the Medway in 1667 the Royal Navy insisted that all ships docking at Chatham had to have the cannons removed.

“While one ship was being relieved of her weaponry in the 18th century, this cannon was accidentally dropped into the water.

"It was dredged up 30 years ago.

"One of the diggers, he had done some diving on the Mary Rose and he thought it would fall to pieces as it was brought up and over the next few days.

"Geoff bought it for £300 and he built the carriage before it was put in the front garden. And it is still here 30 years later.

"The new buyer I think is going to put it in his garden.

"Geoff was not sad to see it go but I was. I was almost tempted to bid on it myself but I think I would have got in so much trouble."

Geoff, a retired owner of a crane hire business also sold a 750lbs anchor that was also dredged up for £400.

Jo added:

"It was very old because it was pre-chain and would have been attached to a rope. We think it was from the 17th Century and that was in our front garden too."

A six feet wide steering wheel which was salvaged from the King Orry, the last steamship to serve the Isle of Man when it was scrapped in 1978, also sold for £650.