Woolwich, London (In Kent until 1889)
The Royal Artillery Barracks
The above photograph shows the Barracks about 1900.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in the Royal Arsenal in 1716 and the soldiers were billeted in barracks there. Between 1776 and 1802 these splendid new barracks were built on Woolwich Common. The barracks remained the headquarters of the Royal Artillery until 2007.
Sites for further information about the Royal Artillery
Second Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment
Later this year (2010), the Second Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, consisting of about 600 military personnel and their families, will move in from their present base in Cyprus, but they will rotate tours of duty between the UK, Germany and Cyprus. They will remain here for two years, after which they will be replaced by another regiment from Cyprus. Whilst here they will perform public duties, such as providing guards for Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and Windsor. Castle.
King's Troop Royal Artillery
In 2011 the King's Troop Royal Artillery will arrive from its base in St John's Wood, where it has been for 100 years. They will bring with them about 120 horses, which will be stabled at Napier Lines close to the barracks in Repository Road. The Troop performs at state occasions and carried Princess Diana's casket on a gun carriage from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey at her funeral in 1997.
The photo above was taken about 1900. Below are three recent photos. The white painted collonade on the right of the three pictures used to be the Royal Artillery Theatre, where a wide range of entertainments were presented, not just for the soldiers but also for the general public. Mum remembers going there with friends.
Photographs of Barracks taken June 2008
