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87-635: Woolwich may refer to: Royal Arsenal , Woolwich - originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. Royal Arsenal Railway , the railway system serving the Royal Arsenal Woolwich Arsenal station ,

174-469: A firearm in order to verify that the firearm is not defective and will not explode on firing. The firearm is inspected after the test, and if it is found to be in sound condition, then it is marked with a "proof mark" to indicate that it has been proofed (not proven ). In many jurisdictions a proof test and valid proof mark are required for the sale of firearms. A "proof round" is an ammunition assembly designed to be used in proof testing; this can use

261-518: A devastating explosion at the private foundry it had previously used in Moorfields .) In Woolwich, the original Royal Brass Foundry building survives (built on the site of the relocated "Greenwich Barn"). Its handsome exterior encloses a space designed for pure industrial functionality, with height to accommodate a vertical boring machine, and tall doors permitting easy removal of newly made cannons. Completed guns could then be taken through what

348-424: A drilled case is used and the piezo measuring device (transducer) will be positioned at a distance of 25 mm from the breech face when the length of the cartridge case permits that, including limits. When the length of the cartridge case is too short, pressure measurement will take place at a cartridge specific defined shorter distance from the breech face depending on the dimensions of the case. The difference in

435-688: A factory in 1967 and the Ministry of Defence moved out in 1994. Today the area, so long a secret enclave, is open to the public and is being redeveloped for housing and community use. The Royal Arsenal had its origins in a domestic warren at Tower Place in Old Woolwich . Tower Place was a Tudor mansion built in the 1540s for Martin Bowes , a wealthy goldsmith and merchant, later Lord Mayor of London . The house with its octagonal tower stood nearby Gun Wharf (the original site of Woolwich Dockyard where

522-454: A failure risk if not tested. Testing generally involves lifting weight or drawing tension equal to or greater than design levels. An overspeed proof test involves physically running the machine at high speed up to the test speed. This may be done during manufacture as an initial proof test. Physical overspeed tests may be periodically undertaken on some machines to verify operation of the overspeed protection systems. Operation at speeds above

609-627: A fixed cartridge , a semi-fixed cartridge, or separately loaded projectile, charge and primer. A "proof shot" is a special projectile used in a proof round or other projectile weapons, electromagnetic guns for example. Small arms proof rounds resemble normal cartridges, though they will typically bear special markings to prevent them from being confused for standard cartridges. Large calibre arms, such as artillery , will in general use an inert solid projectile (the proof shot); although water, sand or iron (powder) filled versions can be found for testing recoil systems. For both small arms and heavy weapons,

696-480: A landmark of size and dignity befitting the Arsenal, the buildings were immediately, and for many years afterwards, vulnerable to subsidence due to their proximity to the river (this was caused in no small part by on-site supervisors directing the use of cheaper wooden piles in place of the stone foundations specified by the architect, James Wyatt ). The buildings formed a three-sided quadrangle of warehouses facing

783-659: A new building was erected in its place to provide a base for the new academy alongside a Board Room for the Ordnance Board (with a new residence for the Storekeeper added to the rear). It would not be until 1741, however, that the Royal Military Academy was set up on a firm footing and occupied its rooms in the building. Soon, the Academy's cadets were given their own purpose-built barracks alongside

870-399: A new design or unit is allowed to enter service, or perform additional uses, or to verify that an existing unit is still functional as intended. Cranes and derricks are proof tested when called on for potentially dangerous load levels or high-valued cargoes. Similarly, items which are smaller and more common (rope and cable, slings, shackles and eyes) are nevertheless in the load path and

957-710: A permanent basis: this marked the foundation of the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers . Both had their headquarters in the Warren for a time and (when not mobilized for war) they were regularly engaged in its work. The two companies of artillery (referred to as 'Royal Artillery' by 1720) were quartered and based at the Warren. By 1722 the detachment had grown and was formally named the Royal Regiment of Artillery . These troops (who were not under

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1044-546: A precursor of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps ). The Field Train had its offices in the main guard house and stored its guns, carriages and other equipment in a large building known as the Blue Storehouse (which was near the old Carriage Yard). By the 1770s the number of artillerymen accommodated in the Warren had increased to 900, prompting the construction of a new Royal Artillery Barracks on

1131-421: A project was begun to raise the ground level of the eastern part of the Arsenal site, as far as the canal, using material dredged from the river bed (a huge undertaking, which took nine years to complete). Also in 1811, a further 20 acres of marshland to the east was purchased, with a view to re-siting the gunnery range (so as to make room for the new sawmills); a 1,250-yard range was then built. In 1838, however, it

1218-471: A proofing pressure of ~65,000 psi, 11,000 psi (~17%) above the standard service pressure. In C.I.P. member states every civil firearm has to be professionally proofed in accredited proof houses before it can be sold to consumers. The proofsign may permit identification of the period of time in which it was used. Some of the signs actually used are: The standard proof test consists of firing two overloaded cartridges that produce 25% more chamber pressure than

1305-498: Is a further test of a gun after its original proof, which may be necessary when changes are made or due to inadequacy of the original proof. Vehicle systems or entire vehicles may be proof-tested. As failure of an aircraft structure or substructure may be catastrophic, demonstration of designs or of in-service units is performed via proof testing. Failure of sail rigging is no longer as catastrophic, but may still lead to damage, injury and loss of vehicle functions. The leak testing

1392-410: Is loaded to a higher than normal service pressure, stressing both the gun barrel and breech during firing. This can be due to a heavy projectile fired using the standard propelling charge, the standard projectile fired with a different propellant type or weight, or combinations of charge and bullet weight to give the required proofing pressure. Minimum proof testing pressures are specified by the owner of

1479-415: Is located .175" behind the shoulder of the case for large diameter (.250") transducers and .150" for small diameter (.194") transducers. For straight cases the centre of the transducer is located one-half of the transducer diameter plus .005" behind the base of the seated bullet. Small transducers are used when the case diameter at the point of measurement is less than .35". Under C.I.P. proof test standards

1566-600: Is now Dial Arch into a complex known as the 'Great Pile of buildings' (built 1717-20) to be finished and stored. Behind the surviving frontage and archway was a small courtyard in which the newly forged guns were turned, washed and engraved; beyond which two large gun-carriage storehouses stood (one for the Navy, one for the Army) at either end of a larger quadrangle, with workshops alongside. The first Master Founder, Andrew Schalch , served in post for 54 years before retiring in 1769 at

1653-647: Is often combined with a charge design trial. When running a charge development, or strength of design (SoD), trial, the charge mass and service pressure will gradually be worked up to the required proofing pressure of the weapon system. Readings will be taken of chamber pressure by copper crusher, or piezo electric gauges and velocity by Doppler radar (in-bore or aeroballistic), or photocell counter chronographs . In addition strain and temperature readings may also be recorded. If required, high speed photography (synchroballistic photography, high speed digital stills, head on cine, or flight follower) may also be used. Reproof

1740-682: The Henry Grace à Dieu had been built around 1515). After the Dockyard moved west in the 1540s, Gun Wharf was acquired by the Office of Ordnance and mainly used for gun storage. In 1651, the owners of Tower Place gave the board permission to prove its guns on the warren that formed part of their land. That same year the first proof butts were built on the site, under the board's direction (24 years later they were enlarged, to enable more guns to be proved at each firing). In 1667, in response to

1827-429: The obturator the same as the shot they are emulating. Crack analysis is often undertaken on large-caliber weapons after testing has been carried out. The proof shot is normally a high-drag projectile since its job is over once it has left the muzzle of the gun. A high-drag projectile is advantageous for two reasons; first, it reduces the impact velocity when fired against an earth or sand backstop, and second, it reduces

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1914-635: The raid on the Medway , a gun battery (known as Prince Rupert 's Battery, being under the command of the King's cousin) was built in the grounds of the house, designed to defend London in the event of a similar raid on the Thames. The following year, Tower Place was acquired by Sir William Pritchard who promptly entered into negotiations to sell it to the Board of Ordnance; and in 1671, the 31-acre (13 ha) estate

2001-405: The vehicle's primary structure , are proof-tested when redesigned, and may be tested at the unit level. Testing involves exposure to higher gauge pressures than design levels, or in some cases, pulling harder vacuum. A firearm's chamber and barrel become pressure vessels for brief periods. In firearm terminology, a proof test is a test wherein a deliberately over-pressured round is fired from

2088-433: The Academy as overflow accommodation until as late as 1882. By 1777 the site had expanded to 104 acres (42 ha). The purchase that year of additional land to the east allowed the proof butts to be relocated, realigned and extended in 1779. This in turn freed up additional land on the old Warren site which would be used for a series of substantial building projects in the early 19th century. In 1777–1778, convict labour

2175-557: The Arsenal's buildings and other structures, latterly as part of the Building Works Department, which remained active until the 1950s. The Ordnance Field Train also left the Warren, in 1804, moving scores of combat-ready field guns and large stocks of ammunition into the newly-built carriage sheds and magazines of what became known as the Grand Depôt (which stretched from the new Artificers' barracks up towards

2262-524: The Arsenal) was composed of a permanent cadre of officers, who were supplemented at time of war by uniformed civilians (many of whom were volunteers recruited from the ordnance storekeeper's department). In addition, a number of Royal Artillery sergeants served in the Field Train as Conductors . (The Ordnance Field Train was disbanded following the abolition of the Board of Ordnance, but is now seen as

2349-528: The Board of Ordnance had a team of 20 gunners stationed in the Warren, overseen by the Master Gunner of England, who (except in time of war) assisted in the manufacture as well as the proving of cannons. Building, repair and technical work was undertaken by the board's (civil) artificers , who were drafted in from the Tower of London as and when required. In many respects 'there was no distinction between

2436-409: The C.I.P. specified maximum pressure limit for the same cartridge in its commercial version. The standard proof of pistol, revolver and rimfire cartridges is performed with overloaded cartridges that produce 30% more chamber pressure than the C.I.P maximum pressure limit for the same cartridge in its commercial version. There are only two overloaded firings to avoid excessive stress to the arm, especially

2523-617: The Constructor of Carriages. This took place around New Carriage Square (a low quadrangle of storehouses built alongside, and as an extension of, the Great Pile storehouses in 1728–1729). In 1803 this activity was formalized as the Royal Carriage Department , a recognition of the importance of effective carriage design and manufacture, alongside that of guns and ammunition, as part of ordnance provision. By 1700

2610-493: The Corps of Royal Engineers. From 1795 both these Corps were headquartered in the Warren; alongside their other duties, they had responsibility for the design, construction and maintenance of buildings, wharves and other features across the Arsenal site. In 1720, the Board sought to establish an on-site military academy for the education of its Artillery and Engineer officers. Tower Place had by this time largely been demolished, and

2697-716: The Inspector of Artillery). In addition to the proof butts, a range was set up in 1787 for gunnery practice, firing parallel to the river across Plumstead Marshes. An Order in Council (dated 22 August 1717) increased the size of the Engineer Corps to fifty officers (including the Chief Engineer ). Serving under the Board of Ordnance, they received their commissions from the Master-General until 1757 when

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2784-515: The King granted them commission and rank equivalent to officers of the Army. In a Royal Warrant of 1787 the Corps (which was still composed solely of officers) was renamed the Corps of Royal Engineers . Initially, civilians were employed as workers, but in 1787 a Corps of Royal Military Artificers was formed: a body of non-commissioned officers and men who were placed under the command of officers from

2871-491: The Ordnance soldier and the Ordnance civilian' at this time, and a close working relationship endured between the two constituencies across subsequent decades. The military constitution of the Board of Ordnance was strengthened when, on 26 May 1716, a Royal Warrant directed that two companies of artillery (of a hundred men each, plus officers) and a separate corps of twenty-six military engineers (all officers) be formed on

2958-578: The River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London , England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition , proofing , and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was originally known as the Woolwich Warren, having begun on land previously used as a domestic warren in the grounds of a mid-16th century Tudor house, Tower Place. Much of the initial history of

3045-473: The Royal Brass Foundry and of other aspects of gun manufacture including carriage-making (for the time being) and proof-testing, which continued to take place on ranges to the east; (over the next hundred years the proof ranges were moved progressively further eastwards as the Arsenal continued to expand). From the beginning, gun carriages had been stored at the Warren (unlike the guns themselves

3132-648: The Royal Sappers and Miners merged with the Royal Engineers and the headquarters of the newly unified Corps was moved from Woolwich to Chatham ; a small detachment of Engineer officers was retained in Woolwich, however, alongside the house in Mill Lane, where an office building and a works yard were built. The Royal Engineers (after a brief hiatus) retained responsibility for design and construction of

3219-551: The Tower, and the proof butts were further expanded. When the constitution of the Board of Ordnance was formalised by Charles II in 1683, two Proof Masters were appointed, under the Surveyor-General of the Ordnance , to ensure that proofs and trials were conducted correctly and the results duly certified. In 1684 the King paid another visit, when Leake conducted a trial of his newly-developed mortar design. In 1688 it

3306-474: The Warren and observed Richard Leake, Master Gunner of England, conduct an experiment with fire-shot in the proof butts. In 1682 what had till then been the board's main proving ground (in 'Old Artillery Garden' near its headquarters in the Tower of London ) was closed and its staff and activities were promptly moved to Tower Place. That year a thousand cannon and ten thousand cannonballs were sent to Woolwich from

3393-506: The Warren). In 1696 Laboratory Square was built to house its operations, which included manufacture of gunpowder, shell cases, fuses and paper gun cartridges ; it consisted of a quadrangle with a gateway at the north end, buildings along either side and a clock tower at the south end, beyond which further buildings were ranged. The manufacturing process was conducted by hand, overseen by a Chief Firemaster; early paintings show artisans at work in

3480-732: The adjacent Royal Carriage Works). Also in 1803, the Royal Military Artificers were provided with new barracks , outside the Warren (south of Love Lane, halfway between the Warren and the Common); the corps was renamed the Royal Sappers and Miners in 1812. In 1824 the Commanding Royal Engineer, until then resident in the Arsenal, was given a new house in Mill Lane on the edge of the Common. In 1856

3567-476: The age of 78. In 1770 a revolutionary horse-powered horizontal boring machine was installed in the Foundry by his successor, Jan Verbruggen which inspired Henry Maudslay (who worked at the foundry from 1783) to his inventions improving the lathe . Remarkably, it remained in use until 1843 when a steam-powered equivalent replaced it. From 1780 a new official, the Inspector of Artillery, was given oversight of

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3654-419: The barrel which is the main part suffering this overload beside the chamber (when not part of the barrel) and the locking mechanism. After the test, the arm is disassembled by the proof house technicians for nondestructive testing looking for magnetic flux leakage through fluoroscopic lamp in a dark room. Many manufacturers package the casings from a firearm's proof ammunition in a sealed envelope accompanying

3741-476: The board's other depots, the site was overseen by an official called the storekeeper, who was provided with an official residence in Tower Place itself. The Storekeeper not only controlled the receipt, safekeeping and issue of all the items that were stored on the site; he was also responsible (until the early 1800s) for issuing payments on the board's behalf to all personnel across the different departments. He

3828-416: The cartridge specification, such as C.I.P. or SAAMI for most commercial cartridges or NATO EPVAT testing for appropriate military cartridges. An example proofing round for the .50 BMG (12.7 × 99 mm) is the "cartridge, caliber .50, test, high pressure, M1". This uses the standard-weight .50 BMG M1 round propellant (240 gr of WC860), but a bullet weighing 999 gr (+/- 11 gr). The M1 proof round gives

3915-479: The command of the Army but of the Board of Ordnance) provided a versatile workforce on site, as well as helping ensure its security. In 1719 they were provided with their own barracks within the compound, close to Dial Arch: a single block was built, housing 200 men in open barracks accommodation across four floors, with a pair of officers' houses incorporated at each end. (This block has since been demolished, but an identical block (now known as Building 11), survives; it

4002-498: The courtyards among pyramid stacks of shells . A pair of pavilions, which once faced each other across the centre of the courtyard, are now the oldest surviving buildings on the Arsenal site; they were being restored for residential use in 2013. The Comptroller, Royal Laboratory , had oversight of the Royal Gunpowder Mills in addition to the Woolwich manufactory. From time to time there were public demonstrations of

4089-413: The current legally required standard test benchmark is often also possible for consumers who intend the use their firearms under extreme conditions (hot climates, long strings of shots, etc.). In case a firearm passes such a proof-test a pass mark termed superior proof mark is stamped in every successfully tested firearm. Under SAAMI proof test procedures, for bottlenecked cases the centre of the transducer

4176-429: The earliest days. A dock was built as part of the rebuilt wharf to facilitate loading and unloading from ships (it was supplemented in 1856 by the first in a series of substantial piers ). The canal, as well as forming a boundary, provided access for barges; these were initially used to deliver timber to the heart of the carriage-building department and later provided a transit route for guns and explosives. In 1805, at

4263-420: The firearm so that authorities in C.I.P.-signatory states and civilian purchasers in other countries can conduct an independent examination if they desire. Before the year 2006 the standard test consisted of firing two overloaded cartridges producing 30% more chamber pressure then the C.I.P. specified maximum chamber gas pressure limit for the same cartridge in its commercial version. Voluntarily testing beyond

4350-552: The firearm) or may involve more in-depth examination, at the option of the tester. A proof mark is a mark specific to the manufacturer, importer, or testing facility that is performing the test. It generally takes the form of a stamp that makes an impression in the metal. Since proof marks are unique and nearly universal, they are often used to identify the origins of firearms that lack normal manufacturer's markings, such as military weapons, which are often produced by large numbers of different manufacturers. A small arms proof round

4437-424: The gun is fired remotely and then examined; if undamaged, it is assumed to be safe for normal use and a proof mark is added to the barrel. In the case of revolvers or other multi-chamber firearms, each chamber must be proof tested before the firearm may be marked. Examination of the firearm may be as simple as visually inspecting it (defective components may fail in a spectacular manner, resulting in an explosion of

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4524-412: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woolwich_Arsenal&oldid=1091947264 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of

4611-414: The interim), where they formed the nucleus of a new Royal Artillery Museum . In place of the old Repository in the Warren, a new Royal Engineers Establishment was built in 1803 (next to, and contemporary with, the new Carriage Factory). It was a sizeable quadrangle of workshops and other facilities, which served as the Royal Engineers' headquarters until 1856 (when it was converted into a wheel factory for

4698-495: The location of the pressure measurement gives different results than the C.I.P. standard. The test of a large-caliber weapon system primarily covers the strength of the barrel, breech and recoil systems. The proof shot has to resemble the resistance to motion (bore/rifling friction, shot start pressures, etc.) and profile to the propellant gases that the actual service projectile will give. For this reason, proof shots for APFSDS rounds have fin units and all must have profiles behind

4785-476: The military personnel. For most of its history, the civil establishment of the Warren/Arsenal consisted of the following four departments: In addition, proof butts continued to be maintained by the Board of Ordnance to test guns beyond their normal operational limits and for experimenting with new types of ammunition. First and foremost, the Warren was established as an Ordnance storage depot. As at

4872-504: The nearby Middle Gate, the second of three main gates in the Arsenal's perimeter wall). The Cadet Barracks continued to be occupied by the Academy for some time afterwards, initially housing the 'Lower Establishment' (junior cadets), and later accommodating the Practical Class, formed of senior cadets awaiting commission . From the 1860s the cadet barracks began to be converted for other uses, but they were still occasionally used by

4959-504: The new Artillery barracks). The Royal Military Academy was relocated to the south side of the Common in 1806. The old Academy building, together with the adjacent Storekeeper's residence, then became part of the Royal Laboratory ; so the Storekeeper (who still had seniority within the Arsenal) was given a sizeable new house on what was then the south-east edge of the site (later overtaken by expansion, it came to be named after

5046-474: The normal operating speed can greatly increase stress levels in rotating parts. Failing flywheels, rotors, etc. may present a shrapnel risk in case of a failure. Historically, swords would be proof tested by impact before issuance- the "British test". Vessels which may be a failure risk, such as utility-scale water towers, chemical-handling equipment, or very-high-pressure storage tanks, may be proof tested. Rocket stage tankage, being high-valued and often

5133-770: The north of the original Laboratory complex, with an open-sided quadrangle built around an eighteenth-century Naval storehouse; initially used for storage, it came to be used for manufacturing from the 1850s. (It replaced the 'East Laboratory', a quadrangle of buildings which had been demolished to make way for the Grand Store.) Earlier, in 1804, subsidiary Royal Laboratories were set up in the Dockyard towns of Portsmouth and Devonport and in Upnor Castle near Chatham . The Devonport Laboratory (on Mount Wise ) had been converted into barracks by 1834 but ten years later Portsmouth's (which had been overtaken by dockyard expansion)

5220-511: The north side of Woolwich Common , where they moved in 1777; whereupon their old barracks were converted into terraces of houses (they continued to house artillery officers for some years, and were later used for senior staff of the Royal Laboratory). The Commandant Woolwich Garrison remained quartered in the Arsenal until 1839, when he was provided with a new house on Woolwich Common (Government House). The Royal Military Repository

5307-518: The old Laboratory Square had been roofed over to serve as a vast machine shop at the heart of what was now a munitions factory. The open spaces of the Royal Carriage Works were similarly roofed over and mechanised, and the area of its operations expanded; its carpenters and wheelwrights were moved out into new workshops (which later developed into what is now Gunnery House) east of the main building. (This area had previously been used for

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5394-421: The previous year). Its outer walls, complete with a contemporary chiming clock, survive; within, where there are now new apartment blocks, there was once a vast engineering and manufacturing complex staffed by wheelwrights, carpenters, blacksmiths and metalworkers. It was here that steam power first came to be used in the Arsenal, when Joseph Bramah installed his patented planing machine in 1805. The Arsenal

5481-504: The railway and DLR station, in Woolwich Woolwich Arsenal Pier Arsenal F.C. , until 1914 known as Woolwich Arsenal, an association football club in north London Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Woolwich Arsenal . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to

5568-587: The range if no backstop is used. Excessive range can be a very problematic when firing any large-caliber round; safety traces can often exceed the bylaw areas of the firing range, so range reduction is imperative. This is even more of a problem when high velocity, low drag rounds such as APDS or APFSDS are used. Although proof shots are used in the service proof of barrels before use, the vast majority are used in propellant charge design. Proof shot emulating APFSDS rounds are also used in stabilizing-fin SoD trials, which

5655-460: The river, with the central open space used as a shot -yard. (The main range of buildings was flanked by smaller quadrangles to the east and west, only fragments of which survive.) The Grand Store was not uniquely, or even primarily, designed as an artillery store, but rather as warehousing for all kinds of military equipment: an early example of a planned integrated military stores complex. From 1808, " New Laboratory Square " began to be developed to

5742-437: The site as a whole became known as The Warren . The Board of Ordnance was both a civil and a military office of State, independent of the Army, overseen by a high-ranking official, the Master-General of the Ordnance . Both branches, civil and military, were represented at the Warren; indeed there was a great deal of overlap: military officers for the most part headed up the civil departments, and civilians often worked alongside

5829-658: The site is linked with that of the Office of Ordnance , which purchased the Warren in the late 17th century in order to expand an earlier base at Gun Wharf in Woolwich Dockyard . Over the next two centuries, as operations grew and innovations were pursued, the site expanded massively. At the time of the First World War the Arsenal covered 1,285 acres (520 ha) and employed close to 80,000 people. Thereafter its operations were scaled down. It finally closed as

5916-404: The size of the workforce shrank from 5,000 to 500 (not including military personnel and convicts). At the same time, the Arsenal fell behind the pace of technological change. In the early 1840s, Scottish engineering pioneer James Nasmyth toured the site and described it as a 'museum of technical antiquity'. Nasmyth was subsequently engaged to help modernize the complex, but it was only when Britain

6003-546: The southern boundary wall; dating from 1751, these were entirely demolished in the 1980s for road widening. An offshoot of the Academy was the Royal Military Repository. In the 1770s Captain William Congreve built a "Repository for Military Machines" between New Carriage Square and some open ground to the east. The building housed an educative display of cannons and mortars, and the open space

6090-466: The storage and seasoning of the timber used for building the gun carriages.) The building of a new Shot and Shell Foundry, an addition to the Royal Laboratory completed in 1856, enabled manufacture of the latest types of ammunition; this huge complex covered the whole of what is now Wellington Park, and later expanded further to the east. Proof test Proof tests may be performed before

6177-484: The suggestion of King George III , the entire complex became known as the Royal Arsenal ; its constituent elements retained their independence, however. The Napoleonic wars prompted an increase of activity at the Arsenal, which affected all areas of its operation. In 1803–1805 a substantial Royal Carriage Factory was built (on the site of New Carriage Square, which had been destroyed by fire - possibly arson -

6264-409: The wooden carriages had to be kept under cover). The first store ('Old Carriage Yard') had been built as early as 1682, and probably also contained workshops for the repair or scrapping of old carriages. In 1697 a far larger complex of sheds ('New Carriage Yard') was built on what had been Prince Rupert's gun battery. By the 1750s manufacture of gun carriages was also taking place on site, overseen by

6351-524: The work of the Laboratory, often in Hyde Park, and by the mid-18th century it was customary for the Royal Laboratory to provide an official ' fireworks display ' on occasions such as coronations, peace treaties, royal jubilees etc. A gun foundry , overseen by a Master Founder, was established in 1717. (The decision of the Board of Ordnance to set up and supervise its own foundry operations followed

6438-476: Was accepted that (due to improved ballistics) a much longer range was required; this would require multiple land purchases (at great expense), but was eventually achieved in 1855 when a 3,000-yard range was opened. At the same time, new proof butts were constructed alongside the range. Levels of arms manufacture naturally ebbed during the relatively peaceful years after the Battle of Waterloo ; between 1815 and 1835

6525-503: Was assisted by a clerk of the cheque, clerk of the survey and other administrative staff. To begin with much of the Warren was preserved as open space with cannons stored in the open air and guns proved on ranges to the east. (Proof-testing was overseen at this time by the Master Gunner of England , who was also accommodated in Tower Place.) Gunpowder was stored in a converted dovecote initially; but before long specialist buildings began to appear. An ammunition laboratory (i.e. workshop)

6612-572: Was built alongside the first in 1739–1740, the Regiment having been enlarged). After the formation of the Regiment in 1716, the Royal Artillery took on responsibility for conducting proof tests and the (recently renamed) post of Master Gunner of Great Britain was abolished. Proving guns at the Warren became part of routine training for gunners of the Royal Artillery, overseen at first by the Board's proofmaster-general (and then, after 1780, by

6699-586: Was destroyed along with New Carriage Square in the fire of 1802, but soon re-established itself just west of the new Artillery Barracks in the area now known as the Repository Grounds (which continue to be used for military training to this day). What survived of the items on display at the Repository came to be housed in the Rotunda there from 1820 (having been kept in the old Academy building in

6786-538: Was given to the board in exchange for the Gun Wharf and a substantial amount of cash. The board at the time declared the site to be "a convenient place for building a storehouse for powder and other stores of war, and for room for the proof of guns". The first Storekeeper, Captain Francis Cheeseman, was appointed in 1670 by Warrant of the Master-General of the Ordnance . In 1681, King Charles II visited

6873-557: Was on the brink of war that the pace of mechanization increased until, by 1857 (within the space of a decade), the Arsenal had 2,773 specialized machines at work powered by 68 stationary steam engines . A similar pattern of development was seen at the other Board of Ordnance manufacturing sites: the Royal Small Arms Factory , Enfield and the Royal Gun Powder Factory , Waltham Abbey . By 1854,

6960-404: Was ordered that 'all guns, carriages and stores now at Deptford , be removed to Woolwich, and from henceforth new ordnance and carriages be laid there'. No manufacturing took place at this stage, however, except for the periodical production of fireworks for state celebrations; (between 1681 and 1694 saltpetre , a key ingredient of gunpowder , was regularly refined on the site). In due course,

7047-421: Was relocated to Priddy's Hard , where manufacture (initially of small arms ammunition, later of shells and fuzes) continued, overseen from Woolwich. Proof work continued at this time. In 1803 a burst gun caused damage to nearby buildings, which prompted construction of a new set of proof butts further to the east; these opened (on what would later be the site of the Arsenal's gasworks) in 1808. Starting in 1811,

7134-486: Was set up at the Warren in 1695, overseen by the Comptroller of Fireworks. Manufacture of ammunition had previously taken place within a Great Barn on the tilt-yard at Greenwich Palace (an offshoot of the royal armoury there); but in 1695 construction of Greenwich Hospital began on the palace site, so the laboratory was relocated downstream at Woolwich (the barn building itself was even disassembled and rebuilt at

7221-470: Was soon a renowned centre of excellence in mechanical engineering , with notable engineers including Samuel Bentham , Marc Isambard Brunel and Henry Maudslay employed there. Brunel was responsible for erecting the steam sawmills , part of the Royal Carriage Department ; Maudslay later expanded this buying more steam machinery. The Arsenal also became a noted research facility, developing several key advances in armament design and manufacture. One example

7308-414: Was the innovative Congreve Rocket , designed and (from 1805) manufactured on site by William Congreve (son of the Comptroller of the Royal Laboratory). Thenceforward rocket manufacture became a key activity, carried out in purpose-built premises on the eastern edge of the site. Between 1805 and 1813 the massive Grand Stores complex was constructed alongside new wharves by the river; though celebrated as

7395-440: Was used as a training ground to help develop skills in handling large artillery pieces on various terrains in different conflict scenarios. In 1792, with Britain on the cusp of war with France , the Board of Ordnance established a Field Train department to ensure supply and storage of guns, ammunition and other equipment for its Artillery and Engineers serving in the field of battle. The small corps (which had its headquarters in

7482-476: Was used to construct a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) (approximately) brick boundary wall, generally 8 feet (2.4 m) high. In 1804 this wall was raised to 20 feet (6.1 m) near the Plumstead road, and to 15 feet (4.6 m) in other parts. (The first boundary wall had been built in 1702, prior to which the Warren had operated on open ground.) Use of convict labour was key to this period of expansion. It

7569-495: Was used to construct a huge new wharf, completed in 1813, and then again in 1814–1816 to dig a canal (the Ordnance Canal), which formed the eastern boundary of the site. Guardhouses were built at points on the perimeter, manned by troops of the Royal Artillery; one at the main gate (1787–1788) and a pair by the new wharf (1814–1815) are still in place today. The River Thames was key to the Warren and its operations from

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