OLD DEVONPORT . UK
www.olddevonport.uk
 

ROYAL DOCKYARD

NAVAL ORDNANCE DEPOT

When in 1891 the Naval Ordnance Department was formed, the eastern half of the Army Ordnance Depot at Bull Point, Saint Budeaux, Devonport, became the new Naval Ordnance Depot.  This area included the Royal Laboratory Cottages and a church and infant school with a clock tower. The western half remained in the hands of the War Department.

This new Department acquired the use of a portion of the Royal William Victualling Yard in East Stonehouse for the storage of torpedoes, which became the responsibility of the new Department.

A Police Station was erected within the Depot in 1894.  Historic England, who now have responsibility for the Grade II Listed Building, describe it as built of 'snecked limestone ashlar with slate roofs and ashlar stacks.  Rectangular plan, with a cross-wing to the left of a range facing onto the main entrance into the site.  Tudor Gothic style.  Gable facing to left-hand 2-storey cross wing, with horned sashes in chamfered stone architraves and mid twentieth century timber porch.  Single-storey range to left has similar architraves to doorway and flanking 2-light stone-mullioned windows with horned shashes'. 

Bull Point Jetty was constructed in 1898.

In the Navy List for 1905 Lieutenant-Colonel A N Saint Quintin was  the Naval Ordnance Officer based in Plymouth.  Under him came the Deputy Naval Ordnance Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H M Aplin, based at Bull Point, and Assistant Ordnance Store Officer, Mr J G Wilson, also based at Bull Point.

By 1913 the Admiralty held 69 acres and the War Department 57 acres.

Captain William Noel Stokes, Royal Marines, was the officer in charge of the Army Ordnance Depot at Bull Point in 1914 and he also acted as the Inspecting Ordnance Officer for the Naval Ordnance Depot.  He lived in Kinterbury House.

Mr John Greig Wilson was the Superintendent of the Naval Ordnance Depot at Bull Point in 1914 and he lived in Bull Point House.

Also at Bull Point at this time was the Royal Naval Detention Quarters, of which Commander Frank Powell RN was in charge, and the Metropolitan Police Quarters, where Inspector Benjamin Walton was the officer in charge.

The Depot gained its own rail connection on June 2nd 1916 when the siding from the Great Western Railway at Saint Budeaux Junction was opened.

On and as from December 23rd 1918 the Naval Ordnance Store Department was re-titled the Armament Supply Department and its work included that of supplying torpedoes and mines, which had previously been done separately.  The Naval Ordnance Depot became the Royal Naval Armament Depot in 1920.