Former Smithery, Erecting Shop And Brass Foundry, Royal Dockyard

A former smithery, erecting shop, and brass foundry, originally part of the Royal Dockyard at Woolwich. The erecting shop was built between 1838 and 1840, with the smithery and brass foundry added in 1846. These buildings were designed by officers of the Royal Engineers working under the Board of Ordnance. The complex served as the first naval establishment for the installation and repair of steam engines, chosen for its proximity to London's marine engineering industry.

The erecting shop, originally a boiler shop converted around 1843, is located south of the site and near the inner basin. It was used for assembling steam engines and installing them in ships using large cranes. Constructed of stock brick with two stone bands, it features a south front with a series of round-headed windows and two larger openings with stone keystones and impost blocks. The end elevations also have keystones and blocked lunettes. Inside, there is a blank arcade of round-headed arches.

The smithery, built for metal parts manufacture, stands to the west. It has a series of 16 round-headed arches with stone keystones and impost blocks, featuring pale yellow brick voussoirs with round-headed openings below, most now blocked. Two round-headed entrances are present. A partially glazed roof connects the smithery to the brass foundry, with a portion now covered in asbestos sheeting. The interior of the smithery has cast iron tapering columns and a metal roof with a king post truss.

The brass foundry, also built in 1846, is constructed of stock brick with stone dressings and has a roof covered with asbestos sheeting. Its west front features seven bays, the central three bays projecting under a pediment with a louvred oculus. The north and south elevations have five bays, with a central full-height round-headed arch (now blocked) and four tall round-headed openings containing 20th-century windows.