Historic gunpowder mill in Waltham Abbey receives COVID-19 recovery funding

Urgent conservation work will be undertaken at Gunpowder Incorporating Mill ‘L157’ thanks to £420,575 funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. 

Many gunpowder industry processes were invented or developed at the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills. The site and its collections of archival material, photographs, films and records represent the entire history of the gunpowder industry, including technologies which were exported around the world.

Twenty of the site’s rare buildings are listed. The Grade I listed Gunpowder Incorporating Mill ‘L157’, built in 1861, is the first and most complete of the incorporating mills. It is possible to trace the development of the gunpowder industry through the building’s adaptions and alterations.  

Impacted by the pandemic

Long periods of closure and inactivity during the pandemic led to substantial loss of income, limited maintenance access and a reduction in staff numbers. Conservation projects and commercial schemes were disrupted or discontinued. Public access, including for schools and tours, came to a halt.  

The condition of L157 worsened during this time and has now become critical.

NHMF funding

Thanks to the NHMF funding, a variety of works will be carried out to address deterioration to the building, including to its roof, sky lights, cladding, structural timbers, decorations and drainage. 

Displays and interpretation will be boosted and the site will be re-opened to the public. 

NHMF’s COVID-19 Response Fund

The £500,000  funding comes from the government’s Cultural Assets Fund, which NHMF has distributed as part of our wider £40m COVID-19 Respond Fund.