Gunpower meets airpower as Merlin lifts historic cannon for restoration work

St Michael's Mount is the land, if legend is to be believed, of giants – and an equally impressive array of cannon dating back to the 16th century.

Having survived the years, 18 of those cannon, each of which weighs between 350kg and 500kg, are badly in need of some conservation work and so had to be removed – by air.

Help was on hand from a Merlin Mk2 helicopter and its crew from Atlantic Flight, 814 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Culdrose.

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The first step

The helicopter lifted each cannon individually from the Mount to the Cornish mainland, where they are now being transported to Dorothea Restorations, a historic metalwork specialist, for assessment and conservation.

Henry Mathews, of St Aubyn Estates, which manages the Mount in partnership with the National Trust, said: "These cannons are an important part of St Michael's Mount's story.

"Their removal is the first step in specialist work to conserve them for the future, and we are grateful to the Royal Navy for its support."

St Michael's Mount, which is tidal and is usually accessed via a causeway, has seen its fair share of violence, dating back to the times of Richard I, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War.

And during the Napoleonic Wars in 1812, a French frigate was driven aground near the Mount after coming under fire from the island's guns, with the French guns being recovered and added to the Mount's defences.

However, initial examination suggests all the cannon that were removed are English.

The crests on three of the guns appear to be from the reign of King George II (1727 to 1760), but further careful paint removal is required.

The cannon have been painted in the past, but where the paint has failed, salt spray has caused them to rust. Most of the guns appear to have corroded over the centuries before previous protective layers were applied.

Giant exercise a huge success

The exercise to move the guns was dubbed Cormoran's Throw, in honour of the legendary giant who is said to have created the Mount.

The story goes that Cormoran and fellow giant Trecobben, of Trencrom near St Ives, used to hurl massive boulders at each other for fun.

There was military value to the airlift too as it offered some realistic external-load training for the Royal Navy crew ahead of operational service.

Atlantic Flight is currently in its working-up period before deploying to a Royal Navy frigate later this year to protect UK waters and carry out anti-submarine warfare patrols in the North Atlantic.

CO Ben Kerley, said: "Transferring stores or equipment between ships or from ship to shore is one of the core capabilities of the Merlin helicopter. It is something our crews regularly practise at Culdrose.

"So to carry out this exercise in a realistic setting has been a real benefit to the crew as they prepare for operational service. It also supports the preservation of this important historic collection."