Greenwich Heritage Centre facts for kids
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Artillery Square with the Old Royal Military Academy and Greenwich Heritage Centre
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| Established | October 2003 |
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| Location | Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, South East London |
| Public transit access | Woolwich Arsenal  .svg){kind=small} |
The Greenwich Heritage Centre was a cool museum and a place to learn about local history in Woolwich, south-east London, England. It opened in 2003, started by the London Borough of Greenwich. From 2014, the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust ran it. The centre closed its doors in July 2018. It was located in a really old building in Artillery Square, part of the Royal Arsenal. This Arsenal was built in the 1600s to make and store big guns, bullets, and other military stuff.
Contents
The Centre's Historic Home
The Greenwich Heritage Centre was inside a group of buildings called New Laboratory Square. It was also known as Building 41. This building was once a storehouse designed by James Wyatt between 1783 and 1785.
The Board of Ordnance built this storehouse. It was a "sea storehouse" for naval supplies. This means it held weapons and equipment for ships. More storehouses were added from 1808 to 1810. These new buildings completed the square.
From Storage to Factory
By 1860, the Royal Laboratory department took over the whole complex. They turned it into a factory. This factory made boxes and barrels. These containers were used for storing ammunition, gunpowder, and other military items.
The west side of the building held wood. The east side had a sawmill and a cooperage (where barrels are made). A steam engine in the north building powered the machines. It used line shafting to make everything work.
A Workshop for Ammunition
The entrance to the Greenwich Heritage Centre was in the south part of the square. This area was a carpenters' workshop from 1877-78. Here, boxes and barrels were put together by machine.
During the First World War, this space changed. It was used to make ammunition for small arms. Many women worked here during the war. Before the Arsenal closed in 1994, much of the building was used for storage.
How the Museum Started and Closed
The Greenwich Heritage Centre opened in October 2003. It brought together collections from the Greenwich Borough Museum. It also included items from the local history library. This library used to be at Woodlands House in Westcombe Park.
The council wanted a local history museum. They hoped it would help make the Royal Arsenal a great place to live and visit. Before this, the Royal Artillery Museum moved to the Arsenal in 2001. It was called Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum.
Restoring the Building
New Laboratory Square was fixed up between 1999 and 2002. English Partnerships and the London Development Agency did the restoration. At first, the museum only used the west side of the building. It shared the south side with Firepower. Firepower used the rest of the building for storage until it closed in 2016.
A New Charity Takes Over
In 2014, a new charity was formed. It was called the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust (RGHT). This trust took over running the museum and archives. They also managed Charlton House, The Tudor Barn in Eltham, and other historic places. The Friends of the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust support the RGHT.
The Centre's Closure
In 2017, plans were announced for a new creative area. It would be near the riverside end of No 1 Street. This plan included a large auditorium for concerts in Building 41.
The centre closed suddenly in July 2018. Many people were upset because there was no discussion. The future plans were also unclear. However, the Trust said they would continue their research. They moved the borough's archives and museum collections. These are now in a single storage facility. This new facility is in the Woolwich Dockyard area.
What You Could See: Exhibitions
When the museum first opened, it had a permanent exhibition. It was called Inside the Arsenal. This exhibit told the story of the Royal Arsenal. It also covered the nearby Woolwich Dockyard.
Celebrating Women's Role
One part of Inside the Arsenal was called Here Come The Girls. This section celebrated the important role of women in Woolwich during wartime. It especially focused on their work during the First World War.
Honoring the Royal Artillery
In 2016, the Firepower museum closed. To fill its place, a second permanent exhibition opened. It was called Making Woolwich: The Royal Regiment of Artillery in Woolwich. This exhibit was in the south part of the building. It marked 300 years since the Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in Woolwich in 1716. Even though it was mostly about the Royal Artillery, it also showed items from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Changing Exhibits
Besides the main exhibits, the museum usually had one or two changing exhibitions each year. These often focused on a specific area in the borough. They might cover a historic event or other interesting local topics. The temporary Berkeley Gallery was later replaced by the Making Woolwich exhibition.
See also
- Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre - which focuses on the Greenwich World Heritage Site
Images for kids
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Detail of the south range of New Laboratory Square
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The west range and the back of the Old Royal Military Academy
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East and north range; currently not in use by the museum
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East range; barrels would leave the first-floor by way of the round hole (left)
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Reception area. To the right the former Berkeley Gallery
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Local history section. Stairs to first floor
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Permanent exhibition Inside the Arsenal
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Permanent exhibition Making Woolwich
