REPOSITORy wOODS, wOOlwICH, gREATER ... - English Heritage

tracks around the grounds and features which may represent batteries or other artillerytraining structures (Figure 5), such as the earth and wood casemate construction shownon later photographs (RAHT Collection AL27/40-48; Figure 6) and the structuresdescribed as the ‘West batteries’ in later lists of the exercises (RAHT Collection MD 93).Figure 5: Map of 1808 showing the Royal Military Repository with sheds, guardhouse, steppedboundary, ponds, paths and what appear to be training batteries. The National Archives:Public Record Office MPHH 1/189/4.Though the particular location is not specified, experiments with ‘traversing platforms’seem to have been undertaken as early as May 1805 and by 1807 evidence exists ofCongreve’s wish to create purpose-built training structures in the Repository, such as abrick tower for teaching ‘several modes of escalading works’ (TNA WO 55/756). Plansof this tower survive (RAHT Collection MD213/13) though it is not clear if it was everbuilt. Of particular note from the map evidence (TNA:PRO MPHH 1/189/4 – Figure5; MPH 1/507/3-4) is the section of ditch and bank presumably constructed for theRepository exercises located immediately to the south-west of the largest pond, whichsurvives today (below). Lists of the Repository exercises from the 1820s to 1840s detailthat this earthwork (identified as the ‘Fieldwork near Summerhouse Pond’) was used forbuilding bridges in order to assault it, to roll shells from the parapet and ‘To throw handgrenades’ (RAHT Collection MD93). Later maps depict various training earthworksin a very similar manner to the later training fortification and one of these may be the© ENGLISH HERITAGE1014 - 2009