Blast Wall Around Rebuilt Magazine At Former Royal Naval Armaments Depot, 250M West Of Entrance Lodge

The blast wall stands around a rebuilt magazine at the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot, located 250 metres west of the Entrance Lodge. Constructed in 1814, it is built of red brick with Portland stone coping. The wall surrounds a rebuilt magazine, which is not listed. Gateways are situated to the north and south, with each flanked by square piers that feature round-headed recessed panels surmounted by slightly projecting panels. The original magazine, to which this blast wall relates, was destroyed by enemy action in 1940. The walls were altered in the 1990s during the construction of Hawkins Court.

The site of Marchwood was conceived in 1811 as a store depot, initially planned to have a 20,000 barrel magazine, along with two additional 10,000 barrel magazines. Following deliberation, three magazines, each with a 6,800 barrel capacity, were instead constructed, incorporating a small internal L-shaped channel for moving barrels by barge and a centrally-placed Shifting House. Subsequent deficiencies highlighted during the Crimean War led to an increase in storage capacity, with additional magazines built at Marchwood, Tipner, and Upnor. In 1853, the CRE Portsmouth began preparations for making Marchwood serviceable again. A significant expansion occurred in 1856-7 when four new magazines were built: three with a capacity of 14,400 barrels and one with a capacity of 9,600 barrels. By 1864, Marchwood reportedly housed the largest magazine in the Kingdom, with a capacity of 76,000 barrels of powder. The establishment gradually wound down, employing 45 people in 1898. Magazines B, E, F, and G were destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing in June 1940, and the Admiralty’s use of the depot diminished after 1945, ultimately leading to its closure in 1961.