If you look very carefully at the building housing the public toilets in Maiden Street, Weymouth, you will find a startling reminder of the town's bloody past.
For a few dozen feet above the Ladies is a hole believed to have been caused by a cannonball fired during the 17th century civil war.
Read more: The 14th century castle tucked away in the Dorset countryside you can stay in
The ball - later replaced with a wooden replica in case it fell out and struck a pedestrian - was launched from the Nothe Fort or possibly from a Royalist ship.
The story of the conflict is respectably covered in local author Mark Vine's 2004 publication The Crabchurch Conspiracy, Weymouth 1645.
By February of that year Weymouth and Melcombe Regis were under control of the Roundheads - led by staunch Parliamentarian governor William Sydenham.
Portland, however, was under the control of Royalists led by Sir William Hastings.
On February 9 Hastings's men, with the help of inside conspirators including a Melcombe councillor, launched a surprise attack and took the two main forts, Nothe and Chapel (now Chapelhay), and in doing so, control of the town.
During the following 17 days of fighting hundreds of men died.
Dozens of Royalists were slaughtered during a particularly bloody engagement in Old High Street, which used to run behind the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council North Quay offices.
The Parliamentarians eventually won and William Sydenham turned his attention to rounding up the conspirators that helped launch the Royalists' original attack.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel