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The Rotunda on
File:London-Woolwich, Rotunda 02.jpg, Obsolete sign near the entrance
File:London-Woolwich, Rotunda 04.jpg, Rotunda and Napier Lines corral
File:London-Woolwich, Rotunda 07.jpg, Tent-roof detail
File:London-Woolwich, Rotunda 09.jpg, View from the east
The Rotunda on Woolwich Common
Woolwich Common is a common in Woolwich in southeast London, England. It is partly used as military land (less than 40%) and partly as an urban park. Woolwich Common is a conservation area. It is part of the South East London Green Chain. It is al ...
, in south-east London, was originally a 24 sided brick rotunda, designed by the Whig architect John Nash. Intended as a temporary structure, it was erected on the grounds of Carlton House
Carlton House, sometimes Carlton Palace, was a mansion in Westminster, best known as the town residence of George IV, during the regency era and his time as prince regent, before he took the throne as king. It faced the south side of Pall M ...
, in 1814, for use as an additional reception room for the many events hosted there by the Prince Regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or ab ...
in celebration of the allied victory over Napoleon. The first event held in the wooden rotunda was a magnificent celebration in honour of the Duke of Wellington
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...
, in July 1814. The Regent ordered the removal of the rotunda from the grounds at Carlton House, in 1818. John Nash had hoped it would be converted into a church. However, the Regent directed that it be re-erected on Woolwich Common for use as a museum by the Royal Artillery. When the building was re-erected in Woolwich, in 1820, its original architect, John Nash, turned it into a permanent brick structure with a tent-style lead roof, central supporting pillar, decorative cupola and weathervane. In 1973 the Rotunda was designated as a Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
building.
It was used as the Royal Artillery Museum until 2001, when its collection was moved to the nearby Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proof test, proofing, and explosives research for ...
. Between 2001 and 2016, the combined museum was branded as "Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum" and was housed in some of the former buildings of the Arsenal. All 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
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. Firepower closed in July 2016. Following the 2016 closure, the collection was moved to Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It lies about west of the centre of Durrington village and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury.
The settlement ...
in Wiltshire.
The Rotunda structure has not been in use between 2001 and 2023 and is on Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...
's Heritage at Risk
An annual ''Heritage at Risk Register'' is published by Historic England. The survey is used by national and local government, a wide range of individuals and heritage groups to establish the extent of risk and to help assess priorities for acti ...
list. In November 2023, the adjacent Repository Woods were included on a Historic England list of ten London sites designated as 'at-risk'. In 2023 the owners, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is an operating arm of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the United Kingdom, which is responsible for the built and rural estate. Its chief executive is Mike Green.
...
, was given permission to undertake some repairs to problems with the listed building caused by the roof leaking for several years.
References
Bibliography
*External links
* Grade II* listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Buildings and structures completed in 1814 1820 establishments in England Defunct museums in London Woolwich {{Mil-hist-stub