The trial to find

The trial to find a suitable place to set up the One o’clock Gun took place at the end of January 1861.

The first three shots were fired from a 24 pounder mounted on a wooden carriage standing next to the flagpole on the Half Moon Battery.

The remaining three shots were fired from an 18 pounder mounted on an iron carriage standing on the Forewell Battery.

Photographs taken at the same period show that the cannons on the Castle’s batteries were mounted on iron carriages.

The 24 pounder was replaced after the failure of the first attempt to fire the time-gun on 5th June 1861.