Mystery solved

Nelson is nothing more than a giant piggy-bank, well, deposit facility, though it appears that any cash slipped between his lips must have been hurriedly removed, and not allowed to collect like Timmy Tiptoes' nuts in the bottom of a hollow tree. There was obviously once a pitifully small cash-drawer on wheels inside his otherwise empty head.

Extras;
Despite the apparently huge variety of entertainments (paranormal activity? and weddings??) on offer at Fort Amherst, the truth of the matter is that it is a hill with far too large a collection of cannon and precious little else as far as I could see. It appears that another visitor (not I) is equally sick of cannon strewn everywhere across the Chatham landscape and has taken unilateral action in protest - the hill opposite is home to the University for the Creative Arts and yet we have no public art here.