Abandoned cannon ball and Victorian pop bottle among items on display at Leighton Buzzard history evening

A Victorian pop bottle, reusable wine flagons and an abandoned cannon ball are among artefacts featuring at a history open evening in Leighton Buzzard.

To give residents a taste of the town’s rich past, Leighton Buzzard District Archaeological and Historical Society is hosting the evening on Wednesday December 13 at the Linslade Community Centre.

Among the collection will be a large scale 1880 map, pub flagons, photographs, ancient pottery and a medallion of Queen Victoria’s gold jubilee showing the Market Cross.

A particular highlight will be a civil war cannon ball rescued from a skip by a postman decades ago, when the Post Office in Church Square was being extended.

Leighton Buzzard changed hands several times during the 17th century Civil War and was on the front line between the Puritans and the Cavaliers.

Most of the High Street burned down in what was termed the ‘Great Fire of Leighton Buzzard’, but its cause remains unknown. It is thought the cannon ball, of a size only used in the light field guns of the period, may have been fired during the warfare impacting the town.

Other display items include a flagon from George Farmbrough, who ran a wine and spirit merchants, and popular wine bar in the Corn Exchange - demolished in 1965 - in Lake Street. In the Victorian era, West End shows regularly visited the Corn Exchange and the wine bar did a roaring trade. The flagon in question contained a gallon of wine and was reusable.

A willow-woven linen basket may also be of interest to visitors. The basket, courtesy of Lake Street-based Victorian manufacturer Robinsons Baskets, is made from willow shoots grown on the water meadows in the Ouzel Valley. One of Leighton’s major employees of the era, Robinson’s continued in business until after the Second World War. Its factory made a variety of items from willow, including cases to hold shells in the First World War.

Smaller items will include two pop bottles. One hails from the short-lived G.J. Monson & Son’s ginger beer brewery in Wing Road, before the First World War while the other is from the Victorian era. It was used for lemonade, and includes a marble stopper. It bears the name W.J Pratt, Leighton Buzzard on the front and is inscribed with ‘The Niagara Bottle’ on the back. Both bottles were returnable for re-use - in the days when very little was thrown away.

The ongoing collection aims to try and locate ancient sites in the town since the exact location of an elusive Saxon Settlement has not yet been found.

Visitors are invited to bring along anything of interest, including ancient pottery, for identification, discussion and potentially to be recorded.

The event will be held from 7.30pm to 10pm on Wednesday December 13.

There is an entrance fee of £3 for visitors including refreshments. Entry is free for members.