The old and the new at Woolwich Arsenal

Went up to Woolwich for a meeting at a pub in the Woolwich Arsenal complex, very cold and a busy journey, much busier than it had a right to be  in mid morning. There was a tiny smattering of snow first thing which must have sent some people into a tizz as traffic all around was much heavier than usual.

Woolwich Arsenal is an interesting place. It was - as the name suggests - the place where weapons were manufactured. It was closed some years ago and the site turned into a massive housing development. Most of the old buildings have been converted into apartments and new blocks are being built too. The site is on the new Cross Rail and has a fast river ferry link to Central London.

But the area still retains its historical past with Firepower, the Royal Artillary Musuem and Greenwich Heritage Museum on site, much of the original street furniture and street names as well as nods to the destructive nature of the work here as evidenced by the cannons in the foreground.