The Royal Arsenal: Guns, Garrison & the Gleaming Thames

Greater London, United Kingdom

50 tickets 2.5 km · about 1 hr 20 mins · 10 stops · Standard walk How Walking Tickets work

ArchitectureMaritime & NavalIndustrial Revolution

Discover Woolwich’s Royal Arsenal, where Britain’s military power was built through brick, iron and gunpowder. This walk follows the Thames-side world of foundries, workshops, barracks and guardrooms that supplied ships, dockyards and battlefields across the globe. Barracks Court, the Royal Artillery Museum, the riverside guardrooms, Building 49 and Building 40 reveal how industry, architecture and warfare changed from the seventeenth century through the Industrial Revolution and First World War.

The stops

01
Barracks Court
A large siege mortar, demonstrating the heavy bombardment weapons developed and tested at the Royal Arsenal.
02
Royal Artillery Museum
The Royal Artillery Museum, which was one of the world's oldest military museums, was first opened to the public in Woolwich in southeast London on 4 May 1820.
03
SALT Woolwich
A monument or site related to the barracks accommodation of the garrison troops, adding depth to the 'garrison town' narrative.
04
Statue of the Duke of Wellington, Woolwich
The statue of the Duke of Wellington is a statue in Portland stone at the centre of the eponymous Wellington Park in the former Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London. It is Grade II listed as of July 1997.
05
Building 49, The Grand Store Warehouse, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich
A specialized facility within the Arsenal complex dedicated to the production of paper cartridges for artillery, showcasing the industrial precision of military supply chains.
06
Venetian Gun
Another historical cannon exhibit, likely from the Crimean or Napoleonic era, showcasing the diversity of artillery technology.
07
Turkish Gun
A captured or exhibited cannon with Venetian origins, highlighting the international scope of artillery history and trade.
08
James Clavell Square
A specific artillery piece marked with its manufacturing details, offering a tangible connection to the Arsenal's production output.
09
East & West Riverside Guardrooms
Historic guardhouses along the Thames, demonstrating the defensive architecture used to protect the valuable munitions stores from river-based threats.
10
Building 40
Built in 1718–23 on the grounds of the former Tudor mansion named Tower Place, Building 40 now stands as a freestanding structure overlooking Artillery Square