Epping Forest District MuseumLee Valley Park FarmsRoyal Gunpowder MillsWaltham Abbey Gatehouse and Bridge
The Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey is an important heritage site with a remarkable true story. The charity which runs the attraction is committed to conserving and sharing the fascinating 300 year history with future generations.
This very secret location has been involved in the production and development of explosives and rocket propellants for over 300 years.
The Royal Gunpowder Mills are set in 170 acres of Alder woodland and this part of the site was referred to as the island due to the network of canals. Much of the water network is man-made, feeding off the River Lea. Water was crucial both to the manufacturing process and the transport of explosives.
Later the site manufactured guncotton, nitro-glycerine, cordite and the highly explosive tetryl, and after World War II the site became a top secret government research establishment for non-nuclear explosives and propellants. Some of the work which was carried out here is still classified information!
We hope you enjoy discovering the fascinating story of Waltham Abbey’s Secret Island.
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