c1995 - Royal Arsenal Woolwich West - Camcorder Tape 2 - Rare views before residential development

Camcorder Raymond Fordham c1995 - Tape conversion 2
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[@royal-arsenal-history]

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[@baronoflivonia.3512]

Happy that you are saving Anglo-Saxon History.

[@mohamedshegeray9174]

This is great, what was building 55 for originally?

[@royal-arsenal-history]

Building 55 (A41) is one of the Royal Arsenal River Front Guard houses.
Built in 1814 - A means of entrance in the early days of the Arsenal was via boat from the River Thames and protection from unwelcome intruders via this access point was the construction of a Guardhouse. As this entrance became more and more used, it was decided in 1814/15 to construct two new octagonal guardhouses, one either side of the causeway leading to the entrance. The western building was chosen for use of the officers of the guard and the east used by the men of the guard. If you look over the river wall from the high section to the east of the location of these buildings you can see a pair of steps at low tide which are believed to be the original ones of the time to aid access to land from or board the river vessel. An addition set of steps lead up in between these two and into the arsenal between the two guardhouse structures. These were removed in 1931.
Once their use as guardhouses was no longer required the only use's become of these were mainly as store houses and at one point a chemical laboratory.
A history mark related to the western guardhouse was when in 1879 it was used as a mortuary chapel for the return of the Prince Imperials's body after being killed in Zululand before being transported for burial at Chiselhurst in Kent.
The eastern guardhouse had it's roof restored to it's glory in 2001 after some point in it's history having it removed and a flat roof installed instead.
A new river pier was installed here in 2001 so in some ways bringing back this area to its original use. Both Grade I Listed single storey buildings are of octagonal, single room plan, constructed of yellow and red stock brick, with limestone cornices ana parapets.

[@mohamedshegeray9174]

@@royal-arsenal-history Thank you very much, great information. Do you know where I go to find out how to rent the building? I have a project for it that could make me very rich