Bourne's 'Blast from the Past' Declared Safe!

As the winter afternoon sun began to fade, the Bomb Disposal van still sat outside the Old Town Hall in Bourne, with a thin police ribbon around the area.

Perhaps you saw as you drove or walked past? It was certainly an eye-catching sight in Bourne town centre and here is the story of how it came to pass.

In 1919, the National War Savings Committee awarded the 15" naval shell to Bourne in recognition of the town's contribution to the War Loan. This was not uncommon, however we think that there are only three or four similar shells in other English towns today; we also know that the local towns such as Spalding, Grantham and Boston were awarded a tank by the same committee.

In October 1920, the shell was installed in Bourne market place, in front of Lloyds Bank. The newspaper article we found indicates that the shell was polished and varnished, being fixed in small railings in front of Messrs Lloyds Bank; it attracted considerable attention.

By the time of the second World War, we understand that the shell was going to be scrapped but was saved by a local doctor, Dr Galletly, who installed it in his private garden in North Road in the town.

The mid-1990s brought a move for the Galletly medical practice and at the same time the local council were moving into the town hall building; the shell was 'refurbished' and placed in the entranceway with a plaque.

This is where the shell still sits today, 30 years later. However, as you know, we have a regeneration project underway, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and we need to move the shell before restoration work starts!

Through all of its former moves, and former caretakers, no official paperwork remains to confirm that the shell was decommissioned. To be absolutely sure, we contacted the police for advice; as they were unable to find the appropriate marks on the shell which would indicate a previous assessment, they called in the Bomb Disposal unit to take a look.

Which brings us to this afternoon! The Bomb Disposal Unit brought an x-ray unit to check on the contents of the shell. As they began, they warned us that if results were inconclusive, they would need to take the shell away. With the x-ray procedure underway, a cordon was put around the area by the police to restrict passers-by from any x-ray radiation.

After an hour, the experts were able to confirm that the shell is definitely empty and ok to be moved without risk.

We are very grateful to the police and Bomb Disposal team who attended today. We're over the moon that we were able to save this piece of Bourne's history for future generations. Look out for it being installed at Baldock's Mill for the next part of its story!