dorset camera
Home
Kent
South Woolwich

28 April 2007 - South Woolwich.

A visit to the Royal Arsenal museum- “Firepower”.

IMG_1746

To get to South Woolwich we took the free Woolwich ferry from North Woolwich. This is a view from the ferry looking south east along the Thames

IMG_1747

The Woolwich ferry.

IMG_1749

Looking back at the ferry terminal

IMG_1750

The view west along the Thames with Canary Warf, the London Dome, the Thames Barrier and the gherkin visble.

IMG_1756

Inside the Royal Arsenal site which has been redeveloped as a tourist attraction. This is building was originally the Royal Laboratory

IMG_1757

This building is the Royal Brass Foundry.

IMG_1758

The Royal Arsenal Officers Mess.

IMG_1795

A close up view of the entrance showing the clock and wind direction indicator.

IMG_1761

The riverside guard houses which were used originally to guard the causeway down to the river.

IMG_1769

Inside the museum. An artillery mans uniform of circa 1840.

IMG_1771
IMG_1773

A wide range of hardware is on display from the early days of the Arsenal to almost the present day.

IMG_1774

The old roof supports look like they are made of cast iron.

IMG_1776

An unusual cannon of Japanese origin.

IMG_1780

The Royal Artillery emblem. Ubique, the Latin word for "everywhere" is the motto of the Royal Artillery

IMG_1781

The Woolwich pier from which you can catch a boat to the center of London.

IMG_1787

The Firepower museum is on the left hand side of this view looking towards the Brass Foundry. In the foreground are some of the 16 Peter Burke cast iron figures on the embankment.

IMG_1792

A close up of some of the figures.

IMG_1796

Dial Square and the “Great Pile of buildings” which was established at the same time as the royal brass foundry. This where the finishing work on the cannons was carried out.

IMG_1806

A close up view of the entrance showing the sun-dial from which Dial Square gets its name. The sun dial is mounted over the central arch between the piles of stone cannon balls.

IMG_1801

A close up view of the Royal Brass Foundry.

IMG_1812

Not actually in Woolwich this is a picture of an interesting old gasometer structure seen from the Tesco extra store at Gallions Reach, Beckton, just north of London City Airport and Royal Albert Dock. The structure is unusually decorative. The site was once the largest gasworks in Europe. Follow this link for more information.