Before the great Southwold fire of 1659, there were buildings on gun hill. Later, probably in 1746, the six 18 pound Tudor guns seen today were put in place. The Royal Armouries apparently gave the guns to the town to protect shipping from raids. They were last fired in 1659 to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales with tragic results when a delayed explosion killed James Martin, a soldier. His ghost is now known as the Ghost of Gun Hill.
