The oldest cannonball in England

A lead cannonball, fired during the Battle of Northampton in 1460, has been found at the site of the fray at Eagle Drive.

The ball is about 3ins (50mm) in diameter and has been analysed by Dr Foard, who said it had suffered massive impact damage from at least two bounces and may have hit a tree.

It is not clear which side fired the cannonball, but some contemporary accounts suggest the Lancastrian guns failed to fire because of the rain – which means it most likely came from a Yorkist cannon.

Mike Ingram, chairman of the Northampton Battlefield Society, said the cannonball was believed to be the oldest surviving in England.

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Story: BBC News | Photo: Northampton Battlefields Society