An historic building in Woolwich with more than two centuries of history and a former museum of the Royal Artillery remains up for sale.
Located on Woolwich Common on Green Hill, Woolwich Rotunda hit the market on Rightmove as a freehold opportunity earlier this year, with the sale being handled by commercial property agents Avison Young on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
The Grade II* listed building sits within its own 1.65‑acre compound next to the Royal Artillery Barracks and is being offered via an informal tender process, with no public guide price.
Empty and reportedly in need of significant restoration, the 24‑sided Rotunda provides around 10,922 sq ft of internal space, alongside several ancillary buildings, and is being promoted as suitable for community, cultural, leisure or retail use, subject to planning and listed building consent.
The building has been empty for more than a decade and was formerly home to the Royal Artillery Museum before the collection moved out in 2001.
The listing includes the 24‑sided circular rotunda hall, a rear extension housing plant and former office space, a former tractor shed and a small gatehouse outbuilding at the entrance to the site.
Originally built in 1814 as a temporary structure and designed by John Nash, the building was initially used as a ballroom to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon before it was relocated to Woolwich and rebuilt as a permanent structure in 1819.
The Rotunda later served as one of the earliest public military museums in the world and also hosted a wide range of public events over the years.
After closing as a museum in the early 2000s, the Woolwich Rotunda has spent much of the past two decades unused.
The Royal Artillery Museum collection was moved to the Firepower museum in Woolwich in 2001, severing the building’s long‑standing public role.
When Firepower itself closed in 2016, the collection was placed into storage.
The building has been listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register since 2007 and is assessed as being in “very bad” condition, with high vulnerability and a declining outlook.
Any prospective owner would need to work within strict Grade II* listed building guidelines, with any alterations requiring formal consent due to the Rotunda’s heritage status.
A newly-formed Rotunda Trust has reportedly expressed interest in buying the site.
What would you like to see happen to the Rotunda? Let us know in the comments.
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