About

Firepower in the Napoleonic Age ‘A whiff of grapeshot’.

Book your place HERE.

Saturday 7th September - 10am to 5.30pm (registration and coffee from 9.30am)

A unique Battlefields Trust Study Day in conjunction with the Royal Gunpowder Mills

Back by popular demand:

Following on from our highly successful study day last November, we are pleased to announce our next event this September. We will be exploring firepower on land and sea during the Napoleonic period with acknowledged experts and live firing demonstrations by reenactment groups.

Places cost just £40 which includes delegate’s packs, refreshments and lunch plus all the guides and site tours.

A unique opportunity to learn from acknowledged experts all within the home of gunpowder production that played such an important role during the Napoleonic Wars – the Royal Gunpowder Mills.

The day will include lectures, demonstrations of gunpowder weapons by re-enactors and tours of the Royal Gunpowder Mills. Speakers include: Gareth Glover, Chris Jones and Stephen Summerfield. There will also be displays from the Historical Maritime Society and the 44th East Essex Regiment of Foot.

There will be opportunities to take guided land-train tours, explore the site, and visit the main exhibition, rocket vault and armoury during your breaks in the Napoleonic programme. Expert interpreters and guides from the Royal Gunpowder Mills will be on hand to explain the evolving production processes of gunpowder, Cordite and most recently, explosives and rockets that were produced on this secret site for over 300 years.

Here's what delegates said following our last study day:

Really, really good venue for study days like this. Perfect for the live-arms displays, and with a very comfortable auditorium for the lectures.

Excellent speakers in a good venue with practical demonstrations, well worth the money.

Lovely food at lunch and lovely cakes and pastries at other times. Catering was terrific.

The Royal Gunpowder Mills are sensational, and ought to be used for these sorts of things a great deal more in the future.

Fabulous team, great venue and a super day.

Excellent day - more please!

Who should attend:

Although covering our subject in depth, this day will be equally interesting and informative to those with a general interest in local or military history. You won’t need any specialist knowledge, just an enquiring mind and a desire to get hands-on with history.

What is included:

Entry to the Royal Gunpowder Mills, access to various exhibitions and displays, guided tours and interpreters on hand and, of course, the programme of activities, delegates packs, refreshments and lunch.

The venue and getting there:

The Royal Gunpowder Mills is located in Waltham Abbey, a short distance from junction 26 on the M25. The address and postcode is: Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY  There is plenty of free parking at the venue. For those travelling by public transport, the nearest station is Waltham Cross, connecting London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale underground (Victoria Line) to/from Cheshunt/Broxbourne/Hertford East. From here the venue is a 25 minute walk or short taxi ride. The following buses also stop near the venue: 21, 212, 213, 240, 250, 251, 255, 505, 517. For more travel information the Royal Gunpowder Mills will be happy to advise on 01992 707370

How to book:

Book your place here. More information about the venue and event here at the Royal Gunpowder Mills website

Make the most of your weekend:

For those wishing to take advantage of their visit to the area may we suggest the following:

As well as visiting London, just a few of the nearby places of interest with military significance are: Ambresbury Banks and Loughton Camp Iron Age Forts in Epping Forest,  North Weald Airfield, The Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, Essex Regiment Museum Chelmsford, the Combined Military Services Museum at Maldon, Tilbury and Coalhouse Forts, Stow Maries WW1 Airfield, Colchester and Hedingham Castles and Cressing Temple.

Please note: Some of the events take place outside. Depending on the number of people attending it may be necessary to split some of the tours to manage numbers. All delegates will receive an information pack with joining details approximately two weeks prior to the Study Day.