In March 1860 the 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery received two 32 pounder smooth bore guns with carriages and ancillary stores for drill instruction. Corporal (later Sergeant) Sherwin was attached as a drill instructor, and the first drill was carried out on the 27th March 1860.
3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery firing 21st June 1887
A practice Battery was built for two 64 pounder Rifle Muzzle Loading runs.
Replica Gun Trow Rocks
A Disappearing Gun on Trow Point was first placed there in 1887 when the army were experimenting with coastal defences. The gun was forced down into the pit for re-loading by the recoil after the gun fired, so affording protection to the crew and obscuring the gun from direct enemy fire. The structure was sunk deeply into the ground to accommodate the water upon which the platform rose and fell, actuated by air pressure pumps.Trials of platform took place on 15th and 16th December 1887. It was found that the raising and lowering of the platform was too slow and the system was abandoned in favour of the quicker and cheaper Elswick hydro-pneumatic mounting.
The replica gun was installed in 1997.
South Tyneside information - Trow Rock Floating Platform