Royal Arsenal Guardroom, Plumstead Road, Woolwich, Greater London
This was the Royal Arsenal West Riverside Guardroom. It was built in 1814 and was one of a pair. They flanked the river entrance to the Royal Arsenal, originally it's main entrance. The Arsenal is one of the country's most important historic military sites. It was first established in 1671 and closed in 1994. It was the site of ordnance (weapons and ammunition) development, manufacture and storage. In 1695 the Royal laboratory for the manufacture of fireworks and gunpowder moved here from Greenwich. In 1717 the government established a brass foundry for the casting of guns. Rapid expansion followed, especially during the American War for Independence and the Napoleonic Wars. By the later 1800s the work force numbered 10,000, reaching a peak of 75,000 in World War One. After 1945 there was a rapid decline in output. In 1967 the factories were closed. The name, Royal Arsenal, goes back to a visit by George III in 1805.
