Royal Arsenal Gardens

Although a new public park, this is on former industrial land that was the site of Woolwich Power Station but is named for its association with the historic Royal Arsenal to the east, and the landscaping has been themed on this heritage. Woolwich Power Station opened in 1893 and was run by the Woolwich District Electric Lighting Company until it was taken over by Woolwich Borough Council. At its peak it was burning over 1000 tons of coal a day, which was shipped from Yorkshire and Northumberland, and the old coaling jetty remains. It closed in 1978 and the buildings were demolished, the site of the main power station later becoming the car park of the Waterfront Leisure Centre. The riverside park opened in 2000 and has a conservation meadow with sculptures in stone, a skateboard park and playground.

The site of Henry VIII's Royal Dockyard since 1512, Woolwich has been connected with artillery since the reign of Elizabeth I when a gun depot was established here. After the Restoration of the Monarchy it became increasingly important for military purposes and artillery resources gradually moved here from the 1660s. In 1695 what was later known as the Royal Laboratory moved from Greenwich to The Warren in Tower Place for manufacture of explosives, gunpowder and fireworks and the government established what became the Royal Brass Foundry for casting guns in 1716/7. The Royal Carriage Department had been located at The Warren from 1665 and when the Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in 1716, Woolwich became its headquarters. The early C18th buildings such as the Brass Foundry and Dial Square may have been designed by John Vanbrugh, with later buildings from the 1780s designed by James Wyatt, who had been appointed as Architect for the Ordnance in 1782. The site had some landscaped areas and tree lined avenues. The various facilities at The Warren were named the Royal Arsenal as a result of a visit by King George III in 1805. In 1806 the Royal Artillery moved from what had become overcrowded premises to Woolwich Common (q.v.) where they had built the Royal Artillery Barracks from 1776.

The Royal Arsenal continued to grow over the years, for example with the addition of the laboratories of the newly created Chemist to the War Department in 1854, and the Chemical Research Department in 1907. It became the largest centre of munitions production in the country, and eventually covered 1,200 acres. It had been hugely influential in the development and prosperity of Woolwich and at its peak during WWI it employed some 100,000 people. Output began to be reduced after WWII and the closure of Royal Arsenal was first announced in 1963, with the ordnance factories closing in 1967. After the factories closed some 500 acres were acquired by the GLC for housing, with the area to the west containing the historic core of buildings becoming gradually deserted, although there were military personnel here until 1994. In 1997 the site was sold to English Partnerships and came under the management of the London Development Agency in 2000. It was then opened up for development and planning permission was given for an extensive housing and regeneration scheme by Berkeley Homes, including restoration of the historic Arsenal buildings. Fire Power!, the new Royal Artillery Museum, opened in 2001, and Greenwich Heritage Centre is now in Artillery Square.