Royal Arsenal Gatehouse
| (Beresford Gate) | |
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| Coordinates | 51°29′28″N 0°04′09″E / 51.491111°N 0.069167°E |
|---|---|
| Location |
Beresford Square Woolwich London, SE18 United Kingdom |
| Designer | John T. Jones |
| Type | Grade II listed building |
| Material | yellow and red , Portland stone |
| Beginning date | 1828 |
| Completion date | 1891 |
The Royal Arsenal Gatehouse or Beresford Gate is the main gatehouse of the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It was built in 1828, enlarged several times and is now a Grade II-listed building. The gate was named after the Anglo-Irish general William Beresford, Master-General of the Ordnance and Governor of the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.
The Royal Arsenal Gatehouse is situated in central Woolwich, between the town's main square, Beresford Square, and the Royal Arsenal, from which it is separated by a busy dual carriageway, Plumstead Road (A206). It is also situated close to the Woolwich Arsenal railway and DLR stations and the future Crossrail station.
The construction of a new gate for the Royal Arsenal was ordered in 1828 by the newly appointed Master-General of the Ordnance, William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford (1768–1854). Its construction was supervised by Colonel John Thomas Jones, Chief Royal Engineer, who also made the design. The new gate replaced an older one of 1720 and was preceded by the clearance of some cottages which stood in the way of the main approach road to the Arsenal. Its appearance in the early 19th century was very different from its current state, as a mid-1830s lithograph shows. In 1859 an office with a bell tower above were added on the west side, and in 1889 the east side was extended too. Two years later, the original gate was built over to create three extra waiting rooms.
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