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

to the approaches to the fortification are likely to have been significantly affected bythe construction of the road immediately to the east of the Rotunda between the mid-1840s and 1869 though there is no evidence to suggest any features to the east of thefortification itself. By this date the entrance close to the Rotunda has been constructedand there is scrub growing in the ditch. Earlier maps show tree or scrub cover on theapproaches (e.g. NMR MD 96/124 dated 1839) perhaps reflecting the importance of theearthwork in practising the Repository exercises rather than for attack practice (thoughCongreve did intented a tower to be built so escalading could be taught as part of theexercises (TNA:PRO WO 55/756)). The proximity of the vegetation to the Rotundamight suggest it that it was allowed to grow for aesthetic reasons.ABC?0 Feet50NB Profile interpreted from 19th century maps and photographs.Depth of ditch not known.Figure 10: Original profiles of the fortification as interpreted from documentary sources (NBnot surveyed). Profiles A and B both represent sections through the now demolished 'SouthernBastion', one where the possible firing step is evident and one where it is not, and Profile Crepresent a section through the very northern end of the fortification where the ditch is muchnarrower. There are no photographs to show the western side of the fortification at this pointso the height of the parapet has been estimated.Photographs taken from 1858 onwards (held within the collections of the Royal ArtilleryHistorical Trust – Albums 933, 27 and 112, Figures 8 and 9), along with the 1867 Baylymap (Figure 36A and B), show the internal faces of the fortification and the types ofartillery mounted along the line in great detail. The various gun positions including hardstandings without embrasures for mortars, hard standings with embrasures for guns ongarrison carriages, arcs for guns on traversing carriages and positions at each apex of thetwo regular bastions which were for guns on traversing carriages but which, rather thanhaving embrasures, were positioned to fire over the parapet (Figure 11).© ENGLISH HERITAGE1614 - 2009