Millhouse, Kames Gunpowder Works, Powder Tester
Firing Range (19th Century), Cannon (19th Century), Cannon Ball (19th Century)
Site Name Millhouse, Kames Gunpowder Works, Powder Tester
Classification Firing Range (19th Century), Cannon (19th Century), Cannon Ball (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Kames Powder Mill; Kames Mill (Gunpowder)
Canmore ID 289784
Site Number NR97SE 24.18
NGR NR 95673 70768
NGR Description NR c. 95673 70768
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/289784
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilfinan
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NR97SE 24.18 c.95673 70768
The powder tester or cannon is situated at the S end of what was the firing range to the W of the lade (NR97SE 24.). The cannon sits in a slight hollow.
The test cannon is of cast-iron and is bolted to an iron floor plate with four square headed bolts. The iron plate is about 0.05mm thick. A fuse hole was noted at the base of the cannon barrel,which measures 0.152mm in diameter and a test cannon ball survives rusted into the barrel.
Surrounding the tester and reduced to ground-level are the remains of a rubble wall with an entrance on the W. No trace of this wall could be detected on the N side.
About 50m to the N of the cannon is a sand mound, which may possibly have been the target area for the tester. The firing range would appear to be about 130m long.
Visited by RCAHMS (MKO). 19 April 1988
