Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum

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Coordinates: 51°29′38″N 0°4′15″E / 51.49389°N 0.07083°E / 51.49389; 0.07083
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51°29′38″N 0°4′15″E / 51.49389°N 0.07083°E / 51.49389; 0.07083

Firepower - The Royal Artillery Museum
File:Firepower Royal Artillery Museum London.png
Established4 May 1820
LocationRoyal Arsenal, Woolwich, South East London
Public transit accessWoolwich Arsenal
WebsiteOfficial website

Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum is a military museum in Woolwich in south-east London, England, which tells the story of the Royal Artillery and of the Royal Arsenal.

History

The museum is much more than a regimental museum as the RA has been involved in most British actions for over 200 years. It was originally established to preserve Royal Artillery (RA) history and as a training collection. Over two million men and women have served in the RA since its formation and human stories of bravery and sacrifice are told throughout the museum.

The museum is located in some of the former buildings of the Royal Arsenal, which was Britain's principal ordnance manufacturing facility from the early 18th century until the mid-20th century.

The forerunner of Firepower 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.

The collection moved to Firepower in April 2001. All of Firepower's buildings were once part of the Royal Laboratory Department, which controlled the manufacture of ammunition. The Old Military Academy and some of the other buildings used by Firepower are 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.

The present museum is Accredited by Arts Council England.

Artillery Collections

The collections are designated as being of national and international significance by Arts Council England.

  • Field of Fire

An interactive exhibit with sound, smoke and screens will give visitors an idea of what it is like to be a modern gunner in war time.

  • The Gunnery Hall

The museum's main display of 20th century weapons.

  • The History Gallery

The history of artillery from its earliest beginnings with examples of artillery from around the world.

  • Medals Gallery

Just some of the museum's collection of thousands of medals won by members of the Royal Regiment of Artillery telling the stories behind them.

  • Modern Gunner

Brings the story of the Gunners right up to the present day.

Transition

The current museum will close in July 2016. A new heritage centre / museum is planned in Wiltshire, the new home of the regiment, and will open in 2019-20. The collections will be professionally stored and conserved for the opening of this heritage centre. A permanent Royal Regiment of Artillery gallery is planned in association with the Greenwich Heritage Trust on the existing site.[1][2]

Gallery of exhibits

Gallery of buildings

[3]

  • The main museum entrance opens into a new building, which houses the Modern Gunner galleries.
    The main museum entrance opens into a new building, which houses the Modern Gunner galleries.
  • To the right of the main entrance, the former Paper Cartridge Factory (Building 17, 1855-6) houses the main Gunnery Hall as well as the History Gallery and other exhibition spaces.
    To the right of the main entrance, the former Paper Cartridge Factory (Building 17, 1855-6) houses the main Gunnery Hall as well as the History Gallery and other exhibition spaces.
  • To the left of the main entrance, the former Royal Laboratory Offices (Building 18, 1855-6) houses museum offices and archives.
    To the left of the main entrance, the former Royal Laboratory Offices (Building 18, 1855-6) houses museum offices and archives.
  • Building 41 (opposite the main museum) was originally part of the New Laboratory Square factory complex.
    Building 41 (opposite the main museum) was originally part of the New Laboratory Square factory complex.
  • Building 40 is the oldest of the buildings. It once housed the Royal Military Academy, it provided an early home for the Royal Artillery Museum between 1802-1820, prior to its move to the Rotunda.
    Building 40 is the oldest of the buildings. It once housed the Royal Military Academy, it provided an early home for the Royal Artillery Museum between 1802-1820, prior to its move to the Rotunda.
  • The Hyde Park Rotunda was rebuilt on Woolwich Common in 1820 to house the Royal Artillery Museum collections. It housed the museum until 1999, and remained in museum use as a store for a further ten years after that.
    The Hyde Park Rotunda was rebuilt on Woolwich Common in 1820 to house the Royal Artillery Museum collections. It housed the museum until 1999, and remained in museum use as a store for a further ten years after that.

See also

Other Artillery museums

References

  1. ^ "Woolwich Firepower Royal Artillery Museum 'to leave by 2017' - former board member hits out". Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. ^ "A statement by the Chairman of the Royal Artillery Museum Board". Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  3. ^ Survey of London vol. 48: Woolwich. Yale. 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Artillery Museum Woolwich London.
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