a
facility for the manufacture and storage of weapons and ammunition for the military forces of
England, located in Woolwich (a town in southeast
England). The
arsenal was founded in 1716 and by 1805 it was called the Royal
Arsenal (Royal meaning in the
service of the
monarch). During
World War II (1939-1945) it employed about 40,000 workers but in the
late twentieth century it was considerably reduced in size and much of its land was used for housing development.