Royal Arsenal

Royal Arsenal is a military museum and former weapons production complex in the Woolwich area of southeast London, situated along the southern bank of the Thames. The site includes preserved factory buildings and storage facilities housing displays on ammunition manufacturing, weapon technology and military production methods.

The British Crown established the site in 1671 for manufacturing and storing weapons and ammunition for military forces. Production expanded greatly during the Napoleonic Wars and reached its height in World War I before operations gradually ceased in the mid-20th century.

Visitors today walk through spacious brick warehouses and production halls that once housed workers assembling artillery, their open floor plans showing how industrial work was organized. The architecture follows a clear functional logic with high windows for natural light and wide passages for moving heavy equipment.

Exhibition rooms are accessible on ground floors and display machinery, tools and weapons across different halls. Visitors find signage throughout the buildings that guides them across the large riverside site and provides orientation.

An underground tunnel network links several buildings and was used for safely transporting explosives between workshops. These passages from the 18th century are partly preserved and give insight into safety measures of the era.

Location: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Inception: 1671

Architects: Nicholas Hawksmoor

GPS coordinates: 51.49118,0.06994

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:44