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London Olympics Information » Venues » Royal Artillery Barracks » About Royal Artillery Barracks
About Royal Artillery Barracks
Official site
http://venues.london-2012.co.uk/Royal-Artillery-Barracks/
Capacity: 7,500
Location: SE18
Status
Royal Artillery Barracks will form a part of the River Zone during the Olympics. A large number of shooting ranges and grand stands to seat 7500 spectators will be built at the venue on a temporary basis.
About Royal Artillery Barracks
The Royal Artillery Barracks building has the longest continuous facade (1080 ft) in the UK. The building of the barracks started in 1776 and was completed in 1802 by James Wyatt. The Georgian facade has a central arch interrupted by stucco pavilions. They were occupied by 16 Regiment, Royal Artillery till July, 2007, when the regiment relocated to Rutland.
To the east of the barracks lie the ruins of the 1863 built Garrison Church of St. George's, where one can still see the fragments of its colourful interiors. To the west off Repository Road lies John Nash-built Rotunda building.
Woolwich has a long history of being associated with armament weaponry. It was in 1671 that the British Government established the Royal Arsenal, which was a manufacturing and testing facility of explosives. The town housed the Royal Military Academy till 1947, when it was merged with the one at Sandhurst.
Royal Artillery Barracks has been designated as the Ministry of Defence's core site. MoD has yet to decide about the future of the impressive premise.
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