Landmarks & HeritageFREE TO VISIT

Royal Arsenal

Woolwich

Photo: Chris Morgan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Britain's great armaments factory for three centuries, now a riverside quarter of restored Georgian and Victorian buildings, squares and cannons, with pubs, cafés, Woolwich Works and the Elizabeth line on the doorstep.

Historyarchitectureriverside walksfood and drink

About Royal Arsenal

For around 300 years the Royal Arsenal made, tested and researched weapons and ammunition for Britain's armed forces. It began as the Woolwich Warren on the grounds of a Tudor house, grew vast under the Board of Ordnance, and by the First World War covered some 520 hectares and employed close to 80,000 people. The factory closed in 1967 and the Ministry of Defence left in 1994. Long a secret, walled-off enclave, it's now open to everyone as Royal Arsenal Riverside: a mix of new homes and beautifully restored historic buildings such as the Royal Brass Foundry, laid out around squares, lawns and a riverside walk, with old cannons dotted about. It's a great place to wander, with pubs like Dial Arch and The Guard House, SALT, the Woolwich Works arts centre and Woolwich station on the Elizabeth line all within the site.

Worth knowing

Why visit?

For handsome historic military buildings, riverside walks and some of Woolwich's best places to eat, drink and see a show.

History & character

Originally the Woolwich Warren, the site was taken over by the Office of Ordnance in the late 17th century. It made armaments for the British forces until 1967; the MoD moved out in 1994 and the area has since been redeveloped.