Many events have taken place on, or within sight of Gun Hill over the centuries.  It is still a good place to stand and watch the sea, in all its various moods.

 Once named Eye hill, its name was changed Gun Hill with the arrival of six guns in 1587.

In 1659 a raging fire destroyed much of Southwold and it’s likely that before the fire there were buildings on Gun Hill. In total some 459 buildings were lost in the fire and many families faced poverty. It's thought the distinctive ‘Greens’ in the town were designed to act as firebreaks should another similar disaster ever occur.

The guns on gun hill were sent by the Royal Ordnance for the protection of Southwold against the Dunkirk pirates during the late 1500s and early 1600s.

The guns were last fired in 1842, to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales, with tragic results. Whilst reloading No 1 gun for the second round there was a misfire. A soldier, James Martin, looked down the muzzle and the delayed explosion blew his head off. He left a widow and three young children, without any means of support.

There are many stories of the ghost walking on Gun Hill, but no one is now sure which is No 1 gun as during WW 1 the guns were dismounted and buried. They were later reconstructed after the war but not for battle purposes.