From Decor to Danger: Couple Lives with Unexploded 19th-Century Bomb for Over 40 Years

A seemingly harmless garden ornament in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, has turned out to be a live naval bomb dating back to the 19th century, unbeknownst to the couple who lived with it for over four decades.

Jeffrey and Sian Edwards transformed the 64lb bomb into a decorative piece, painting it red to match their windowsills. Mrs. Edwards would casually use her trowel on it during gardening. Little did they know, the bomb had been discovered by previous occupants 70 years ago on Broad Haven beach.

According to Mr. Edwards, the bomb, believed to have been fired from a warship in the 1880s or 1890s, was originally found by a man known as Pops Morris, who brought it home on his horse and cart. The Morris family, previous occupants, had embedded the explosive into cement. When the Edwards moved in 1982, they continued the tradition of having it as an unwitting focal point in their garden.

The unexpected revelation came when a police officer visited last week, advising them to send photographs of the object to the Ministry of Defence. Soon after, bomb disposal experts and emergency services descended on the property, uncovering that the shell still contained a small charge.

Undeterred, the Edwards decided to stay in their home as the bomb squad, police, and fire brigade worked to safely extract the potentially volatile device. An x-ray revealed its lingering danger, prompting authorities to transport it, under police escort, to a quarry in Walwyn’s Castle. Covered in five tonnes of sand, the bomb was detonated the following day.

Reflecting on the explosive discovery, Mr. Edwards expressed mixed emotions, saying, “I was sorry to see it go. It’s been part of my life all those years. It was sad to think of being blown to smithereens.”