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The Royal Gunpowder Mills reopens April 17 and 18 2022

About

The Royal Gunpowder Mills Reopens

Sunday 17th and Monday 18th April.

They're back! They're re-opening Easter Sunday 2022 and will be open on Sundays and selected Bank Holidays until the end of October. 

Travel back through time and discover 300 years of explosive and top secret history at the Royal Gunpowder Mills.

Start your visit with an introductory film in the cinema. Find out more by visiting the main exhibition and the Rocket Vault. Discover what it takes to make a rocket fly then make and launch your own air powered rocket! Professor Nitrate will tell you more in his explosive outdoor science show. Visit the Armoury, a must-see comprehensive collection of small arms and militaria.

To explore more of the intriguing 170 acre site, choose between a 25 minute guided Tractor Tour or a 22 minute ride on the new Gunpowder Railway (narrow gauge). Knowledgeable guides will tell you all about the history of the site. Remember look out for wildlife on this Site of Special Scientific Interest, including the site's unique herd of fallow deer.

Relax on the grassy mead and finish your visit with a go on the playground. All of the above is included in your ticket price!

Enjoy drinks and light snacks in the Gunpowder Cafe during your visit to keep you fuelled.

Opening Times

11am to 4.30 pm. Last admissions 3pm.

Admission Prices 

£10 for adults, £8 concessions (65+ and under 16s)

Book Tickets Now

Book tickets on Eventbrite by visiting: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/royal-gunpowder-mills-explore-our-explosive-visitor-attraction-tickets-293162495917

Book Gift Aid tickets on Eventbrite by visiting: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/royal-gunpowder-mills-gift-aid-tickets-tickets-308162130227

Tickets for later dates will be released soon... keep an eye on the website

If you would like to receive news first, sign up to the Royal Gunpowder Mills mailing list via this link and get all the updates! 

Book Tickets Online

Facilities

Accessibility

  • Accessible Lift - All the publically accessible buildings on the site are ground floor accept the main exhibition building where there is an accessible lift.
  • All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors - All the publically accessible buildings on the site are ground floor accept the main exhibition building where there is an accessible lift. As this is a heritage site, there is some uneven ground but most areas and buildings are wheel chair accessible as is the Land Train which conducts guided tours of the whole site.
  • Disabled Parking
  • Disabled persons toilet
  • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
  • Ramp / Level Access
  • Wheelchair user accessible - All the publically accessible buildings on the site are ground floor accept the main exhibition building where there is an accessible lift. As this is a heritage site, there is some uneven ground but most areas and buildings are wheel chair accessible as is the Land Train which conducts guided tours of the whole site.

Attraction Facilities

  • Groups Accepted

Catering

  • Cafe
  • Catering for groups
  • Catering Provided
  • On-Site cafe/restaurant
  • Outdoor eating area
  • Picnic area
  • Picnic Site

Children & Infants

  • Family Friendly, Children Welcome
  • Outdoor children’s play area

Establishment Features

  • All weather attraction - Although we hold special events which take place outdoors, our main exhibitions are under cover and the site can be visited via our covered land train or military truck experience.
  • Guided tours
  • Guided tours by arrangement - Visitors who have a specific interest in a particular aspect of the history or processes or items exhibited at the Royal Gunpowder Mills, can arrange to have a volunteer guide with relevant knowledge available when they visit. This is by arrangement and dependant on the relevant expertise being available.
  • Marquee Space Available
  • Open on bank holidays
  • Special Opening for Groups by Arrangement
  • Team / Corporate Activities

Parking & Transport

  • Bus stop within walking distance
  • Coach parking
  • Free parking
  • On Site Car Parking
  • On site parking
  • Parking (free)
  • Secure cycle parking - The car park includes an open, but covered cycle parking area.

Provider Preferences

  • Countryside Setting
  • Forest Location - The large site includes unique Alder plantation and associated wildlife. The whole site can be visited by the Land Train or Military Truck Experience.
  • In town/city centre - The site is on the outskirts of Waltham abbey, itself a historic market town.
  • Indoor Attraction - The main exhibition, armoury and rocket collection, plus Professor Nitrates Mad Lab are all indoors.
  • Outdoor Attraction - The Royal Gunpowder Mills is a very large unspoilt site with areas designated of special scientific interest (SSIs). The dangerous nature of gunpowder manufacture, and the later chemical explosives, made it sensible to space buildings apart. So the industrial processes can be explored within a natural environment. Trees were allowed to flourish between the buildings as they provided an additional safety barrier should an explosion occur in a building, and canals link all parts of the site.

Specialist Features

  • Cyclists welcome
  • Educational Groups - The Royal Gunpowder Mills has a dedicated education team and regularly delivers a range of programmes for local schools.
  • Family Fun
  • Marketed Towards Children - Children love Professor Nitrates Mad Lab shows.
  • Marketed Towards Families
  • Marketed Towards Senior Citizens
  • Marketed towards student/youth
  • Marketed Towards Students / Youth

Tours and Demonstrations

  • Demonstrations Given
  • Educational Visits Accepted - The Royal Gunpowder Mills has a dedicated education team and regularly delivers a range of programmes for local schools.
  • Guided Tours Available for Groups
  • Guided Tours Available for Individuals - The Royal Gunpowder Mills is lucky to have an army of knowledgeable volunteers who can answer technical (and not so technical) questions and bring the past and processes alive. Some of the volunteers are past employees. The land train tours of the site include guides who explain the history of the site, its buildings and the processes which went on there.

Map & Directions

Road Directions

The Royal Gunpowder Mills is located in Beaulieu Drive, off Highbridge Street (at traffic lights and opposite McDonalds), a ten minute walk from the centre of Waltham Abbey. The entrance is at top north end of Beaulieu Drive.

There is free parking 

From J26 of M25, take A121 to Waltham Abbey; or from J25 of M25 go to Waltham Cross and then A121.

Public Transport Directions

By Bus 

The site is just a 10 minute walk from Waltham Abbey Town Centre.

Nearest bus stops in Highbridge Street are served by the following local buses:

21, 212, 213, 240, 250, 251, 255, 505, 517.

By Rail

Nearest station is Waltham Cross, connecting London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale underground (Victoria Line) to/from Cheshunt/Broxbourne/Hertford East.

We are a 25 minute walk east from the station.

You may also take a bus or a cab (office at station).

The Royal Gunpowder Mills reopens

Type:Heritage & History

Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY

Tel: 01992 707370

Fax: 01992 707372

Opening Times

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