Royal Arsenal

The Royal Arsenal stands on the south bank of the Thames in Woolwich, a former armaments site now open to the public. Its origins lie in a 16th-century Tudor house called Tower Place, later expanded by the Board of Ordnance in the late 17th century. The site began as a gun storage depot at Gun Wharf before growing into a vast manufacturing and testing complex. At its peak during the First World War, it covered 520 hectares and employed nearly 80,000 people. After closing as a factory in 1967 and ending military use in 1994, the area was redeveloped for housing and community spaces. The Arsenal’s history is tied to figures like Martin Bowes, a goldsmith who built Tower Place in the 1540s. Captain Francis Cheeseman became the first Storekeeper in 1670, overseeing early operations. Richard Leake, Master Gunner of England, conducted experiments here under Charles II’s visits in 1681 and 1684. The site’s four main departments—the Storekeeper’s, the Royal Laboratory, the Royal Brass Foundry, and the Royal Carriage Department—shaped its role for centuries. Proof butts tested guns beyond normal limits, while the Royal Laboratory produced ammunition and even fireworks for royal events. Visitors today find a mix of restored buildings and open spaces. Laboratory Square, with its quadrangle and clock tower, once housed gunpowder and shell production. The oldest surviving structures are a pair of pavilions from the Royal Laboratory, now used for homes. Tower Place’s octagonal tower still stands near the original proving grounds. The Arsenal’s riverside setting offers views across the Thames, linking its industrial past to modern redevelopment. Paths wind through former proving ranges and storage yards, revealing layers of history in a public landscape.