The national standard for well-designed homes and neighbourhoods.
Royal Arsenal
Woolwich, London
The Royal Arsenal was established in 1671 and became the largest complex for the manufacture and storage of armaments and military equipment in Britain.
It received the Royal Charter in 1805 and was vital to British commanders such as the Duke of Wellington, but was closed by the MOD in the late 1960s. The 31 hectare site is beside the Thames, a short walk North of Woolwich centre and includes 22 Grade I & II listed buildings designed by architects including Hawskmoor, Vanbrugh and the Wyatt brothers.
The London Development Agency took control of the land in 2000, tasked to create a new mixed use urban quarter as a vital part of housing growth strategy in the Thames Gateway. The same year, Berkeley Homes was selected as the preferred residential developer.
Since then, the first phase has provided 1249 homes in a mix of converted listed buildings and new build blocks. Aside from residential, private investment has stimulated a mix of uses including the Greenwich Heritage Centre, Firepower (a museum showcasing the history of the Royal Regiment of Artillery), shops, cafes and other commercial and light industrial use. Outdoor spaces have been transformed with landscaping and public art.
A further 453 homes are currently being built within The Armouries, part of the next phase of the site ‘The Warren’ a high density urban quarter which will eventually add over 2500 homes, as well as a health centre, hotel, offices, cafes, shop and a new cinema.
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