Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills facts for kids
The Royal Gunpowder Mills is an old factory site in Waltham Abbey, England. It was one of three main gunpowder factories in the United Kingdom. The others were in Ballincollig and Faversham. Waltham Abbey is special because it is the only one that still looks much like it did in the past.
These Mills made Gunpowder for over 300 years! From the mid-1850s, they started making new types of explosives. These were called "smokeless powder" and were much more powerful. Because of this, the site grew bigger, and old-fashioned black powder became less important.
After World War II, the site became a place for research. It was known by different names, like the Explosives Research and Development Establishment. Later, it became the Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment Waltham Abbey. Finally, it was part of the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment. The Mills were known worldwide for their great production methods and high-quality results.
Today, the Mills are an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. They are set in 175 acres (0.71 km2) of parkland. There are 21 buildings on the site that are very important historically.
Contents
How the Site Started
The story of making gunpowder at Waltham Abbey began with a fulling mill. This mill was used to make cloth. Monks from the Abbey first built it on the Millhead Stream. This stream was a special water channel from the River Lea. Mills could be used for different things. In the early 1600s, it became an 'Oyle Mill' to make vegetable oils.
During the Second Dutch War, there wasn't enough gunpowder. So, the oil mill was changed to make gunpowder in 1665. Ralph Hudson bought it and used saltpetre from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
The Hudson family sold the Mills to William Walton in the late 1600s. The Walton family owned the Mills for almost 100 years. The business did very well, especially thanks to William's wife, Philippa Walton. The Mills grew bigger along the Millhead Stream. More buildings were added for different steps of making gunpowder.
The Waltham Abbey Mills were one of the first examples of a factory system in the 1700s. In 1735, a local historian named Thomas Fuller said they were "the largest and compleatest works in Great Britain."
The Crown Buys the Mills
In the 1780s, people worried about how safe and good the gunpowder supply was. Major William Congreve suggested that the King should buy the Waltham Abbey Mills. This would make sure there was always enough gunpowder. It would also help create the best ways to make it.
In October 1787, the King bought the Mills from John Walton for £10,000. This started 204 years of government ownership. Congreve was a very driven and smart man. He was a pioneer in careful management and quality control. He also used science to improve things. Under him, making gunpowder changed from an old craft to an advanced technology.
A famous engineer, John Rennie the Elder, called them ‘The Old Establishment’ in 1806. This name referred to the Mills when they were privately owned.
The Mills were able to make a lot of high-quality gunpowder. This was very important during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. These wars lasted from 1789 and ended with the victory at Waterloo in 1815. After Waterloo, the Mills became quieter. Fewer people worked there, and less gunpowder was made. But, the machines and processes kept getting better.
The quiet time didn't last. In 1854, the Crimean War with Russia started. Then came the Indian Mutiny and other conflicts. This led to the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902. All these wars pushed for more improvements at the Mills.
The Mills made gunpowder for military use. This included propellant for guns and explosives for demolition. But the improvements made there also helped private companies. These companies used gunpowder for building, mining, and making railways. This created a huge demand for gunpowder in the 1800s.
World War I
World War I from 1914 to 1918 caused a huge need for more gunpowder. A new area called the East Flank was built. It included many Cordite mills designed by Harry Bell Measures. About 3,000 more people started working there, bringing the total to 6,230. Most of these new workers were women from the local area. This was a big change for society.
After World War I, things became quiet again. Then, worries about future wars started. It was decided that gunpowder production would move to the west of the country. This was because it would be safer from air attacks from Europe. But, for a while, production continued at Waltham Abbey. Important work was done on making TNT and a new explosive called RDX.
World War II
During World War II, Waltham Abbey was still important for making cordite. For the first two years of the war, it was the only place making RDX. RDX is a part of torpex, which was the explosive used in the famous Bouncing Bomb.
By 1943, all RDX production moved to ROF Bridgwater in the west of England. Cordite production also moved to new factories. These were in ROF Bishopton in Scotland, ROF Wrexham in Wales, and ROF Ranskill in the North East. Many staff from Waltham Abbey helped set up these new Royal Ordnance Factories. They trained workers and oversaw production.
The Royal Gunpowder Mills finally closed on July 28, 1945.
After World War II
In 1945, the site reopened as a research center. It was called The Explosives Research and Development Establishment, or ERDE. In 1977, it became the Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment, Waltham Abbey, or PERME Waltham Abbey. As a research center, Waltham Abbey worked on military propellants and explosives. They also started working on rocket propellants. These were used for things like changing the direction of space vehicles. They also made cartridges for firing aircraft ejector seats and starting engines.
In 1984, parts of the site were given to Royal Ordnance Plc. This happened just before the company became private. But the North side stayed under the Ministry of Defence. It continued as a research center, becoming part of the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment.
After several changes in government research, the research center finally closed in 1991. This ended 300 years of making and researching explosives at the site.
What Happened to the North Site
With money from the Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund, most of the original northern site was saved. It was cleaned up, and a visitor center was built. Now, the public can visit and learn about the science, nature, and history of the site.
Visiting the Heritage Site
A large part of the north site is a special nature area called the Waltham Abbey SSSI. Another part is a scheduled ancient monument, which means it's a very old and protected historical site. Visitors can see displays about making gunpowder. They can also take a tour on a land train and see a demonstration narrow gauge railway.
What Happened to the South Site
The South site, also known as Quinton Hill, was also emptied by Royal Ordnance around the same time. It was also cleaned up. All the buildings on this site were removed. New roads were built, including the A121 link road to the M25 motorway. One side of the A121 road is being developed with houses. On the other side, a large warehouse is being built.
Much of the remaining land became the 255 acres (103 ha) Gunpowder Park. This park is part of the Lee Valley Park and opened in 2004. This new parkland is used for art, science, and wildlife.
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