CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL
INFORMATION
FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE
MAST QUAY, FORMER WOOLWICH DOCKYARD, CHURCH ROAD
In or around 1512 Henry VIII established
a Royal Dockyard in Woolwich which was closed down in 1869. The dockyard had
been engaged in the construction and repair of naval vessels. The archaeologists’
watching brief uncovered evidence for 10 phases of activity, beginning in the
18th century. Various timber revetments of this period were shown to
have been made re-used ships timbers and construction scraps, demonstrating
that cost was an issue in manufacture. We
also noted further revetments, two ragstone slipway walls, cobbled surfaces and
drainage elements. Historically the dockyard is known to have been frequently
modified and altered. This evidence is supported by the archaeological data. Interesting
details of shipwrights, carpenters etc. craft activities were identified as
well as information on the navy's wood procurement strategies.
We found no remains of archaeological
importance, apart from noting the possible abandoned course of the Pilkington
Canal
In one trench a
19th century boundary ditch was found, showing the area for agriculture or
pasture in post medieval times.
On the south
bank, at Wood Wharf, Horseferry Place/Thames Street, Greenwich a record was
made of the below ground Engine Room that served the Greenwich Steam Ferry,
which ran from 1888 to 1900. Steam power was needed to move two carriages and
the landing stage on rails up and down a concrete ramp on the foreshore to meet
the ferry boats and to cope with the tidal range. The cable haulage system was
complex and the ferry not a commercial success.
ROYAL ARSENAL
Another season
of fieldwork has revealed well-preserved evidence for the industrial development of the site from the 19th to 20th century Deposits of reworked alluvial clay in the middle of the site revealed two
18th-century cannon in very good
condition. It is likely that both had
been brought to the Royal Arsenal for proofing, had failed, and
then been recycled as mooring
posts. In the north of the site, layers
of wood shavings and bark may be
evidence for the use of the site as Timber Field, for seasoning, in the middle of the 19th century In the northwestern corner; remains were found of the 1870s Boiler House
that powered a steam hammer; the anvil
of which was found in the Phase 2
works. The remains of the building
were extensive, consisting of brick
flues and boiler base supports founded on timber piles. To the east of the
Boiler House, contemporary remains of
the Rolling Mill were found, including brick-built furnaces and a chimney base. Evidence was seen for the reworking of the Rolling Mill, presumably
reflecting advances in manufacturing technology. The substantial structural remains of the south
Boring Mill were found. A variety of external features survived too, including
cobbled surfaces and bogey tracks. While the remains were consistent with those found of previous the
South Boring Mill in Zone 22, it was noticeable that the actual lathe beds in the eastern side of the mill had been removed for the installation
of the ground slab of a later building. This shows the change of function of
this part of the South Boring Mill. The external elements of the South Boring
Mill had been superseded by the 20th-century reworking of Street No 10.
Recording of the
Chemical Department Building
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