Armoury House
Armoury House in Finsbury, just north of the City of London and near to Old Street
and Moorgate stations, has been the home of the Honourable Artillery Company since
the central block was completed in 1735 on land the Company acquired in 1641.
It is a Grade II* listed building of special historic interest. As it now stands,
Armoury House is the result of five major phases of building work. The central
block, built in yellow stock brick with Portland stone quoins, was designed by
Thomas Stibbs (died 1759), a carpenter who was also a member of the Company.
A two-storey building of Palladian composition, it has a Doric portico, central
front door, and five bays. Five exploding stone cannon balls serve as finials
in place of the stone vases more often found on the parapet of an eighteenth-century
building. They are believed to be part of Stibbs’s original design. The building
cost £1,690, including the price of the furniture. It was paid for using donations
from King George I and HM Commission of Lieutenancy for the City of London and
subscriptions from members of the Company.
In 1787 Armoury House needed extensive repairs that led to the second phase of
building work. The front wall was taken down as far as the windows and the ceiling
of the largest upstairs room was raised. A large pediment was discarded, the
first-floor windows altered, and the height of the front wall was increased.
The third phase took place between 1826 and 1828, when two wings, each of two
storeys, were added to the east and west ends of Armoury House to create a new
gun room and kitchens, and more space for members. In 1843 the fourth phase of
building work occurred, when the rooms at the back of the central block were enlarged
by the re-building of most of its north-facing wall. The fifth and final phase
took place in 1900; an extra storey was added to the East and West Wings, and
a gabled, two-storey building erected against the West Wing. This work provided
additional rooms for the influx of recruits that followed the outbreak of war
in South Africa and improved other facilities required by the Regiment.
A distinctive flag tower was added to the roof of Armoury House in 1802. Behind
and adjoining the building is a large Victorian drill hall, named the Albert Room
after the Captain-General of the Company, Prince Albert (1819-61). It has an
iron-trussed roof and was completed in 1862. The Albert Room underwent extensive
restoration and development from 2005-2007, which included a new basement and
a build between the Albert Room and the Virgin Active Club on Bunhill Row. The
development, which is now known as the Prince Consort Rooms, was opened by HM
The Queen on 17 May 2007. It is used by the Regiment as a Drill Hall and can
be hired for corporate and private events.
The ground floor of the central block of Armoury House, once used for drills
and as a gymnasium, is now divided into an entrance hall and two reception rooms
- the Queen’s Room and the Ante Room. Beneath the Great Stairway leading to the
first floor are ornate iron gates of 1746 paid for by the Lord Mayor of London,
the prosperous The Rt Hon Sir Richard Hoare (1709-54). The large South African
War memorial just behind the gates was designed by the artist Walter Crane (1845-1915).
On the first landing of the Great Stairway are two brass cannon presented to the
Company by the Corporation of London in recognition of the Company’s military
role in restoring order in the City during the Gordon Riots of 1780. The stained-glass
windows and Rolls of Honour commemorate members of the Company who lost their
lives during the South African War and in the two World Wars. The only known
surviving stone rover, or archery mark, and the bell of the ship that transported
members of the HAC to France in 1914, are on the second landing of the Great Stairway
on either side of the door into the main dining room.
Since the Court Room was completed in 1735, it has always been used for meetings
of the Company’s governing body, the Court of Assistants, and other committees.
Notable eighteenth-century features in the Court Room are a double-faced clock
(1748), a relief of King George I (1753), a series of painted friezes by Francis
Holman (1729-84), and a carved pine mantelpiece (1778). Within illuminated cases
are some examples of the Company’s silver and a fine suit of Elizabethan tilting
armour made at the Royal Workshops in Greenwich that has belonged to the Company
since at least 1660. Opposite the Court Room is the Medal Room, where many medals
awarded to members of the Company are displayed. The Medal Room is used for reunions,
dinners, seminars and meetings, and contains a fully licensed bar.
The main dining room within Armoury House is known as the Long Room and retains
several eighteenth-century features, such as the Royal Coat of Arms and Regimental
Coat of Arms over the two chimney-breasts, and a music gallery with delicate cast-lead
balustrade (1787). On the walls are portraits of Captains-General and of other
notable members of the Company. The most recent is of the present Captain-General,
HM Queen Elizabeth II (1999). The wooden panelling commemorates the achievements
of the Company and members who died during the First World War.
The Sutling Room on the first floor of the East Wing derives its name from the
Dutch word ‘sutler’, a man who sold provisions to soldiers, and contains a bar
reserved for members of the Company and their guests. Its pictures include two
that celebrate the Regiment’s ceremonial duties of firing Royal Salutes at the
Tower of London and of providing Guards of Honour for Royal and State visits to
the City of London. Adjacent is the Writing Room, which is also reserved for
members of the Company and their guests. The second floor of the East Wing houses
the Company Office.
The Drum Room on the first floor of the West Wing is a sitting room that contains
a bass drum adapted as a coffee table. Its pictures include two that commemorate
the first balloon ascent from English soil in 1784, an historic event that took
place from the ground in front of Armoury House. The second floor of the West
Wing has been converted into twelve short-stay bedrooms for members of the Company.
Armoury House is in frequent use for reunions, parties, balls, dinners, wedding
receptions and dances, as well as for meetings, seminars, and other functions.
It is also registered as an approved venue for civil marriages. Click here for more information on hiring the HAC. Alternatively you can email or telephone the Sales Team on 020 7382 1533.