Memorial held for unknown soldier

A memorial service has been held to remember a soldier who died near Torpoint 225 years ago.

It's thought he was called James Ashton and was a grenadier who drowned at Maker on the Rame Peninsula.

His grave was discovered under a pile of brambles at Maker Heights by Royal Navy Warrant Officer Darren Paskins and his pet dog Ralph.

He spent weeks personally clearing the site so that people could visit the grave.

School children from Fourlandsend School took part in the memorial service, alongside Royal Navy Officers based at Dartmouth, and trainee sailors from HMS Raleigh.

It's thought the soldier would have been in the Royal Fusiliers and would have been defending the guns stationed at Maker to combat the risk of an invasion.

Warrant Officer Paskins now hopes to find out the age of the soldier and why he drowned by visiting the National Archives at Kew.