Linking Land and Navy: archaeological investigations at the site of the Woolwich Royal Dockyard, south-eastern England

This paper outlines the archaeological evidence found at the demolished Royal Naval Dockyard at Woolwich for the development and construction of dockyard structures of the 18th to early-19th centuries. This is set within the framework provided by historic, documentary, map and historic-model evidence. The results of earlier excavations at the same facility are also reviewed. The themes covered include; the interplay of 'carpentry' versus 'shipwrightry' in dockyard construction, aspects of naval timber-supply and landscape, the recycling of ships' timbers, dockyard craft specialisation and changing relative sea-levels. © 2011 Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited