Following is a transcription of the information on the board adjacent to the cannon.
Naval Cannon from HMS Foudroyant
Thia twelve-pounder naval cannon saw service on the upper gun-deck of HMS Foudroyant, Nelson's flagship in the Mediterranean.
Joseph Cobb and his son rescued the remains of Nelson's ship from being broken up. They restored the ship and began to tour the ports and resorts of Britain and she ended up being moored off Blackpool. Then a gale in 1897 wrecked the Foudroyant totally. This cannon was salvaged and stowed in another training ship rescued and owned by the Cobbs, [the 38-gun frigate Trincomalee].
In 1974 the owners of the castle, Chepstow Rural District Council, arranged for it to be brought from Portsmouth. It was airlifted into the castle by a Royal Naval Helicopter. The cannon was mounted onto a replica early nineteenth century garrison carriage in April 2001 with the help of Gary Tucker (Chepstow Engineering) and Bob Downie. In use at sea the cannon would have been mounted on a wooden carriage. This one is made of cast iron and is the type of carriage that would have been used to mount cannon for use on land.
The missing information on the sign is that:-
In 1885 Joseph Cobb, an antiquarian, bought Caldicot Castle and went on to restore it as a family home. Cobb rebuilt areas of the castle as he believed they had originally been, replacing the woodwork and roofs in the Keep and the Woodstock Tower, building much of the main Gatehouse and reconstructing its unusual drawbridge in full working order. The Cobb family owned the castle into the twentieth century.
From Wikipedia:- HMS Foudroyant was an 80-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was built at Plymouth Dockyard and launched on 31 March 1798. Foudroyant served Nelson as his flagship from 6 June 1799 until the end of June 1801.
In June 1897 she was towed to Blackpool. On 16 June 1897 during a violent storm, she parted a cable and dragging the remaining anchor, went ashore on Blackpool Sands, damaging Blackpool North Pier in the process. The Blackpool lifeboat was able to rescue all 27 of her crew.
After vain attempts to refloat her, her guns were removed and she was sold for £200. She finally broke up in the December gales. Craftmen used flotsam from the wreck to make furniture. And, between 1929 and 2003, the wall panelling of the boardroom of Blackpool F.C.'s Bloomfield Road ground. The ship's bell now resides in Blackpool Town Hall.
Admission prices 2012
Adults - £3.95
Children (5-17), Senior Citizens, and Students - £2.60
Disabled Visitors - £2.60 (enabler free)
Family (2+3) - £12.60
Monmouthshire Residents on production of a museum pass - Free.
(Additional Charges will apply for special events and activities.)
Season Ticket 2012
Adults - £12.60
Children (5-17), Senior Citizens, and Students - £6.30
Disabled Visitors - £6.30
Family (2+3) - £31.50