Woolwich Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Woolwich has changed and developed over the last century.

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Woolwich is unique for its succession of iconic identities, which no longer exist, yet have not been lost to living memory - Woolwich Dockyard, founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 and closed in 1869, Woolwich Arsenal and its Laboratory Square, built in 1696 and roofed over in 1854 to provide the heart of the expanding munitions factory, which closed in 1967, and Woolwich Arsenal FC, formed by munitions workers in 1886 and moved from Manor Ground to Highbury in 1913. Most recently, in July 2007, the last Regiment of the Royal Artillery, formed by Royal Warrant in 1716 and occupiers of the barracks next to Woolwich Common since the mid-1770s, left for its new base at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain. Development of the site is ongoing, with other troops transferred to take the Gunners' place. Regeneration of the town centre and waterfront likewise continues today.