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

Figure 25: Brick-built structure, possibly protecting a spring source, whose foundations are stillvisible on the ground. Photograph circa 1858. Courtesy of the Royal Artillery Historical Trust(RAHT Album AL112 – no number)LandscapingTracks and paths around the woodland which date to the first half of the 19 th century,and in some case probably to the initial use of the area for Repository exercises, areeither still in use as modern tracks, or are visible as earthworks running through thewoodland. One particularly clear example is a terraced track cut into the hill slope onthe western side of the lake that runs towards the now blocked entrance to the groundswhich can be seen on the undated colour-tint plan of the grounds from the mid-19 thcentury (Figure 15) and in detail on the Bayly map of 1867 (Figure 36B).The earthwork remains of two ponds survive in the south-western corner of the sitewhere ponds are marked on a number of early 19 th -century maps (Figure 5; TNA:PRO WO 55/2449; MPH 1/507). The ponds are visible as the wide and deep troughthrough which the modern stream runs. The pond at the northern end of the practicefortification had been infilled by the mid-19 th century (Figure 36B) but is now visible as aslight depression at the northern end of the survey area, which is cut by the boundary tothe site.As the Repository Grounds were clearly functioning as a recreational space and providingan important picturesque backdrop to the Rotunda, it is likely that planting schemeswere instigated. It is not entirely clear what form these may have taken, though the1860s maps and many of the photographs show more formal planting closer to theRepository Sheds and the Rotunda and a more naturalistic landscape further to the westaround the ponds (OS 1 st Ed 25 inch; RAHT Collection Albums 27 and 112). The formalplanting is particularly evident at either end of Number 2 and 3 sheds of the RMR close© ENGLISH HERITAGE3214 - 2009