244B, Southtown Road

This is a naval arsenal dating from 1806, designed by James Wyatt, who served as Architect to the Board of Ordnance from 1782. It is now used as light engineering works. The building originally functioned as an armoury and had a fireproof stone roof until 1829. Constructed of red brick, the roof is now covered in graded Cumberland slate. It is a rectangular block of seven by three bays, with the corner bays slightly forward.

The west front has blind windows on the right and left sides, with five arched recessed openings between them. The central recess is now a doorway. There are seven blocked first-floor windows. Gault brick eaves courses run around the building, and overhanging eaves have developed at the north and south gable ends as pediments. The north gable end has stone surrounds to the doors. The east front initially had blind end bays; these were opened in the 20th century using casements. Five arched recesses remain between the bays, the centre one being taller and containing a door dated 1893.

The interior floor was removed in the late 20th century. The roof is supported by king-post trusses.

The arsenal is the most architecturally distinguished building on the site. It is part of the original Board of Ordnance store built between 1806 and about 1815 to serve the fleet anchored in Yarmouth Roads during the war with France. The original plan included parallel storehouses extending west from a quay on the River Yare, enclosing a working area and a small magazine. Further alterations occurred after its conversion into Militia Barracks in the 1850s and following its acquisition by Coleman’s (food manufacturers) in the 1890s. Some Napoleonic buildings, including storehouses and the magazine, were destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.