Purfleet Magazine

Purfleet Magazine

Purfleet was the site of one of the main Ordnance Yards, along with those located at the following locations:

Weedon

Bull Point in Devonport

Three separate locations around the Naval Dockyard of Chatham:

Upnor adjacent to the old Castle

Lodge Hill

Chattenden

Five sperate location around Portsmouth:

In 1683 The Board of Ordnance board of management was created by warrant of Charles II.  In 1694 the Board of Ordnance built a magazine at Greenwich (Piper’s Wharf), although in 1716 to large Magazines were built inside Tilbury Fort.  The Greenwich site was deemed to be dangerous to the residents living in the area and by 1754 plans had been submitted to a replacement Magazine at Purfleet.

The gun powder magazine at Purfleet was built between 1761 and 1773 with five magazines which could each hold 10,400 barrels of gunpowder.  At this time the Royal Arsenal took over from the Tower of London as the principal gunpowder store.  The proof house, used to test the batches of gunpowder as they arrive, was built between 1782 and 1783.  The magazines at Purfleet did not have any traverses separating them, these were added to later locations.

In 1874 the Examining House of Laboratory was built at Purfleet.  In 1884 the Number 6 Magazine was built.

In 1891 a pier (Garrison Magazine Pier) was built on the river front so that gunpowder barges could access the site no matter what the tidal state was.  Much of the gunpowder was brought in by barge, Waltham Abbey being the primary supplier from 1787.

In 1890 the Purfleet Ordnance Yard was designated for use by both the Army and Navy but in 1903 the Admiralty gave up their half share in exchange for their taking sole control of Chattenden Depot on the Medway.

In 1910 Number 7 Magazine was built to store cordite.

A garrison was maintained at Purfleet to guard the Magazine, although this declined after 1883 when police from Woolwich took over this guarding role.

The Purfleet site was expanded during both World War I and II.

Much of the Ordnance Depot has been lost to development, but the Number 5 Magazine survives as a museum.  The Proof House and Clock Tower gateway also survive.