Here's a fascinating piece of history about the Park for you to enjoy. The Clarence Park cannon, made of brass and bearing the Imperial arms of Russia, once stood on the top of Lowe Hill. It had been seized from the Russians at the fall of Sebastopol in September 1855 and had been tested in the presence of Emperor Nicholas I.  It was presented to the Borough of Wakefield in 1858 by Queen Victoria, as a token of appreciation to the local men who fought in the Crimea. The cannon was fired several times and when Queen Victoria was passing through Wakefield on her way to open Leeds Town Hall on September 6th 1858, the cannon was fired in her honour, causing her (apparently) to stand up in the carriage to check what the sound was all about. The cannon originally stood outside the Court House in Wakefield but when it was fired as a prank it was moved to Lowe Hill to stand at the top near the original bandstand. It was taken for scrap during World War II. This photo is courtesy of the … [Read More...] about The story of the Clarence Park cannon