Empty Powder Case Store (Building 312), Museum Buildings, To Sw Of Camber

The Empty Powder Case Store, also known as Building 312, is a Grade II listed building located to the southwest of Camber, part of the Museum Buildings at Priddy's Hard. Constructed in 1891, this store is built of brick in English bond and features a slate roof supported by steel trusses.

The structure is a free-standing half-hipped shed consisting of seven bays, oriented north to south near the southern side of the Rolling Way. The western side has brick piers that are visible externally and includes three casement windows. The short southern end has a wide opening with a concrete lintel, while the eastern side is connected to the adjacent shed for Empty Powder Cases and Barrels. Inside, the store has steel trusses with angles for struts and bars that support four purlins and rafters with boarding.

Historically, these stores are linked to the introduction of shells into naval service, where each shell was individually packed in its own wooden box. The Empty Powder Case Store is situated immediately to the west of Building 418 and is part of a series of similar rooms that form a core group of buildings on this significant site. It is believed to be a rebuild of an earlier structure on the same location. A rail system leading to 'C' Magazine passed through the center of the long sides of the building.

The magazines and related structures at Priddy's Hard date back to the late 18th century. The site's expansion from the mid-19th century was closely tied to advancements in land and sea artillery and the navy's transition from traditional sailing ships to the Dreadnought class of the early 1900s. Priddy's Hard is notable for having the best-preserved range of structures that reflect this important history of continuous development and adaptation, which is integral to Britain's status as a global sea power. For more historical details about this site, refer to the description for 'A' Magazine.