A RESTORED gun showing how Harwich’s Napoleonic fort would have looked in its heyday was on display.

The Harwich Society opened the Redoubt Fort early for the summer season to give visitors a chance to drop by over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Colin Farnell, society chairman, said: “The Redoubt Fort is one of Harwich’s hidden gems in that it doesn’t look much from the bottom of the hill.

“It is only when you reach the moat and take in the magnificent views that you realise it is a very special place to visit.”

The Redoubt Fort houses a large number of exhibits, artillery pieces and even the remains of a Second World War V2 rocket that plunged into the river and failed to explode.

The latest exhibit is the Portsmouth Gun which has undergone a painstaking restoration undertaken by Harwich Society volunteer, Dan Beck.

The gun is on loan to the Redoubt Fort from the Portsmouth Museum and shows how the fort’s artillery was set up in Napoleonic times.

Mr Farnell added: “The team were delighted to welcome visitors over the weekend and to get the 2017 season off to a great start.

“They are very proud of the Redoubt and love the opportunity to show people round.

“As with all of our volunteers, we are very proud of our Redoubt Fort team who do so much to promote Harwich’s Tourist economy.”