
The Woolwich Rotunda
From waltzes to wargames
Verena McCaig(Co-Author)
Historic England (Publisher)
Published on 28. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-83624-459-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book tells the story of a remarkable building, the Rotunda, and its unique landscape. The Rotunda has had two separate but equally significant lives - the first as a tented ballroom in Westminster and the second as an artillery museum in Woolwich. The structure was commissioned in 1814 by the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, and designed by renowned architect John Nash. Having hosted a major party celebrating the Allied victory in the Napoleonic Wars and honouring the Duke of Wellington, the Rotunda was dismantled and transferred in 1818 to the military garrison at Woolwich. There it was rebuilt as a permanent structure and opened as an artillery museum in 1820 - one of the earliest of its kind in the world. On its new site, the Rotunda formed an integral part of the Royal Military Repository, founded in Woolwich in 1778 as an educational facility for the Royal Regiment of Artillery and based at the Repository Grounds from the early 1800s. As well as outlining the site's history, this book highlights its innovation and popularity and places the Rotunda and Repository Grounds in their historical context. The Rotunda only closed as a museum at the turn of the 20th century, after 180 years, and is now a high-profile building at risk.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Liverpool University Press
Illustrations
115 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 211 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
660 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83624-459-2 (9781836244592)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Emily Cole is Senior Architectural Investigator at Historic England. Sarah Newsome is Landscape Archaeology Manager at Historic England. Verena McCaig is Heritage at Risk Projects Officer at Historic England.
Author
Historic England (United Kingdom)
Historic England (United Kingdom)
Co-Author