TWO replica cannons have been placed on an historic gun battery that was built to protect a Cornish port from invasion by French forces more than 200 years ago.

The replica 24 pounder Blomefield Cannons, each about 10 feet long, have been craned into the battery above Charlestown Harbour, near St Austell.

In the late-18th century, when Charles Rashleigh created the harbour, he built the Charlestown Battery to offer protection against invasion.

The battery later evolved to include heavier guns manned by the Charlestown Militia.

The cannons project, first envisaged in 2008 in discussions with Richard Larn, an historian with strong connections to the harbour, has come to fruition after an order was placed last year with Irons Brothers Foundry at Wadebridge.

Once made, the replicas were delivered to Macsalvors Plant Hire for delivery and installation. To reach the site, the cannons had to be loaded onto a tractor and trailer, with the assistance of farmer Anthony Hart, so they could be moved through fields to reach the battery.

Installation was complicated because the cannons and their carriages each weigh about four tons and they had to be lifted clear of the battery wall, a grade II listed structure.

Charlestown History Group chairman Andy Trudgeon said: “I feel privileged to have played a part in this project and to see a pair of cannons back within the walls of the gun battery.

“On behalf of all those who have an interest in local history, I’d like to thank the Atalaya Trust for this commitment that enables visitors to easily understand the vital defensive role the battery played in the early success of Charlestown.”

Trustees chairman Ali Browning greatly appreciated the co-operation received on the project from the Charlestown Harbour team, Macsalvors, Cornwall Council, Cllr James Mustoe, Cormac countryside rangers, Antony Hart, the Charlestown History Group and Irons Brothers.