IMechE Engineering Heritage Award, Tuesday 22nd October 2024

On Tuesday 22 October 2024 a team of Gunmakers visited the Community Centre at the RSAF (Royal Small Arms Factory) Island Centre at Enfield Lock in East London. Why were we there?

Left to right…

Roger Weeks – Trustee, RSA Trust

Michael Polledri MBE – Trustee, RSA Trust

Martin Jewell MBE – Trustee, RSA Trust & Chairman, RSA Island Village (our trading company)

Dr. Hani Armstrong – Chief Executive, RSA Trust & RSA Island Village

Cllr. Mohammad Islam – Mayor of Enfield

Cllr. Sabri Ozaydin – Ward Councillor, Enfield Lock

Richard Hefford-Hobbs – Worshipful Company of Gunmakers

 

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is one of the largest professional organisations in the UK.  Amongst its many activities it recognises significant engineering achievements with an Engineering Heritage Award. Worthy recipients have included Concorde, the Falkirk Rotating Boat Lift, the Humber Bridge, the original Darby furnace at Colebrookdale and many others. 

Our Master-Elect led several members of our Company to the Royal Small Arms Factory Community Centre and the Interpretation Centre at Enfield Lock to witness the presentation of the coveted IMechE Engineering Heritage Award plaque commemorating the site’s recognition by the Institution.

John Wood, Chair IMech’s Engineering Heritage Committee, presents the plaque to Martin Jewell MBE

The site, opened as a Royal Manufactory in 1816, produced firearms for over 170 years and lies a few miles down the River Lee from the Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey.  From its small beginnings it has reformed and revitalised itself several times, clearing the site to allow greater development and, therefore, production and finally, to fulfil demand in the mid-Victorian era, adopting the American or mass production systems of manufacture.  These transformed production from 6,000 rifles in 1858 to an incredible 85,605 in 1859/60.  Many world-famous marques were made there including the Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle MK1 in 1895, and the Bren and Sten sub-machine guns and Hispano Canons used on the Spitfire during the Second World War.

The award ceremony was held in the refurbished Main Machine Room.  Our Company has a strong connection with the RSAF as a Branch Proof House was on site from 1985 and the Branch Proof Master was one Bob Pitcher, father of our Past Master Rob Pitcher.  Bob later moved to be Proof Master at The Proof House. 

The whole site at Enfield fell into desuetude and dereliction after 1988 but in the year 2000 spirited locals raised the huge sums necessary to restore and maintain approximately one quarter of the original site.  The restoration included the repair of the clock dating from 1808 and including components from the 1780s that timed the daily working order of the staff, and which is still working today.  This had been brought from the first Royal Manufactory at Lewisham to the new facilities opened in 1816.

The restored site is now run as a charity commemorating its engineering history funded by sub-letting business units.  Having paid off their considerable loans, any profits are now returned to local charitable projects such as a Boxing Club to divert youngsters from crime, a cancer charity or one to help single parents.  To date an incredible £9 million has been donated.

The London Proof House looking ready for the Christmas celebration.

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