Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum

Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum was a military museum in Woolwich in south-east London, England, which told the story of the Royal Artillery and of the Royal Arsenal. It closed in 2016. It had been launched as a renewal of the Royal Artillery Museum, with roots in Woolwich stretching back to the eighteenth century. The museum was located in some of the former buildings of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, which was Britain's principal ordnance manufacturing facility from the late 17th century until the mid-20th century. The Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in the Arsenal in 1716 and the regiment had its home in Woolwich for over 290 years. More than two million men and women have served in the RA since its formation and human stories of bravery and sacrifice were told throughout the museum. HistoryThe Royal Artillery Museum was originally established within the Royal Arsenal, as a training collection and to preserve Royal Artillery (RA) history. The forerunner of the Royal Artillery Museum was the Royal Military Repository, which was established on the Royal Arsenal site in May 1778. After a fire in 1802, the surviving artefacts were rehoused in the Old Royal Military Academy. In 1820 the main collection was moved to the Rotunda on Woolwich Common where it was opened to the public for the first time; the museum remained in the Rotunda for the next 180 years. The collection then moved back into the Arsenal, where Firepower opened to the public in April 2001. All of Firepower's buildings were once part of the Royal Laboratory Department, which controlled the manufacture of ammunition; they are for the most part grade II listed. The adjacent Greenwich Heritage Centre tells the story of the local people of Greenwich who worked in the Arsenal and made the guns.

Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum was a military museum in Woolwich in south-east London, England, which told the story of the Royal Artillery and of the Royal Arsenal. It closed in 2016. It had been launched as a renewal of the Royal Artillery Museum, with roots in Woolwich stretching back to the eighteenth century. The museum was located in some of the former buildings of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, which was Britain's principal ordnance manufacturing facility from the late 17th century until the mid-20th century. The Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in the Arsenal in 1716 and the regiment had its home in Woolwich for over 290 years. More than two million men and women have served in the RA since its formation and human stories of bravery and sacrifice were told throughout the museum. HistoryThe Royal Artillery Museum was originally established within the Royal Arsenal, as a training collection and to preserve Royal Artillery (RA) history. The forerunner of the Royal Artillery Museum was the Royal Military Repository, which was established on the Royal Arsenal site in May 1778. After a fire in 1802, the surviving artefacts were rehoused in the Old Royal Military Academy. In 1820 the main collection was moved to the Rotunda on Woolwich Common where it was opened to the public for the first time; the museum remained in the Rotunda for the next 180 years. The collection then moved back into the Arsenal, where Firepower opened to the public in April 2001. All of Firepower's buildings were once part of the Royal Laboratory Department, which controlled the manufacture of ammunition; they are for the most part grade II listed. The adjacent Greenwich Heritage Centre tells the story of the local people of Greenwich who worked in the Arsenal and made the guns.