124:
253:
1087:
135:
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27:
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171:. Once an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world. It is also one of the largest collections of arms and armour in the world, comprising the UK's National Collection of Arms and Armour, National
263:
The influence of the
Armoury began to wane as traditional weapons gave way increasingly to firearms in the field of war. In the 1620s, swords, lances and items of armour were still used in battle, but for the most part were being issued by the Office of Ordnance (which was becoming a sizeable
267:
The Tower was engaged in the development, manufacture and storage of a wide variety of weaponry until the Board of
Ordnance was abolished in 1855. Thereafter the historic armoury collection remained. Only a small part of this could be displayed, however, and in 1995, much of the
498:
264:
department of State) rather than by the
Armoury. The latter, however, remained staffed and operational until 1671, when it was finally absorbed by the Ordnance Board; the board continued to maintain, and indeed expanded, the Armoury as a museum.
506:
245:, there was a permanent public display there; the "Spanish Armoury" which included instruments of torture and the "Line of Kings"—a row of wooden effigies representing the kings of England. This makes it the first
1174:
319:
The Master of the
Armoury was responsible for maintaining a store of armour and weapons for use in the event of war and had an office in the Tower of London. The first use of the title was in 1462.
1575:
1580:
241:, which specialized in richly decorated ceremonial armour). In 1545, it is recorded that a visiting foreign dignitary paid to view the Armoury collection at the Tower of London. By the time of
1075:
311:. This was an ancient office that was revived in 1935 when the Royal Armouries became a national museum. The current Director General and Master of the Armouries is Nat Edwards.
1146:
1570:
948:
1555:
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1251:
1246:
1525:
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1118:
499:"Government invests in Leeds' Royal Armouries Museum acquiring catering and events arm to unify operations at major Yorkshire tourist attraction"
1053:
218:
The Royal
Armouries is one of the ancient institutions of the Tower of London and was originally engaged in the manufacture of armour for the
923:
575:
1109:
230:, the Office was responsible for manufacturing armour and edged weapons for the monarch and his armies; it functioned alongside the
1091:
351:
345:
296:
99:
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1219:
1162:
1101:
1204:
449:
1550:
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The
Armoury oversaw storehouses and workshops at Woolwich and Portsmouth, and at various royal palaces (most notably the
226:
at the Tower of London in the mid-15th century. Overseen from 1423 by the Master of the King's Armour, and based in the
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897:
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1408:
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and their armies. The Office of the
Armoury grew out of the department known as the King's
203:
8:
1287:
978:
619:
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was opened in Leeds. The remaining part of the collection relates directly to the Tower.
183:
from the 15th century, today the collection is split across three sites: the Tower, the
138:
1428:
1368:
1214:
231:
1180:
1136:
327:
252:
1378:
1292:
421:
338:
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1252:
Reviewing
Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest
1508:
1363:
1353:
397:
180:
153:
1175:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Media, Civil
Society and Youth
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223:
53:
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1312:
479:
134:
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455:
796:
674:
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554:
974:
641:"Royal Armouries Library, London: Royal Armouries and Office of Ordnance"
1126:
202:
From 2004 to 2015, a limited selection of items was also on display in
196:
26:
1466:
277:
269:
172:
1008:
1327:
857:
British Basket-hilted Swords: A Typology of Basket-type Sword Hilts
176:
1046:
164:
148:
1576:
Museums sponsored by the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
1581:
Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government
246:
168:
529:"RA Venues wins four-year contract for Royal Armouries museum"
188:
63:
110:
1418:
1147:
Minister of State for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism
1494:
1460:
1187:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Gambling:
1247:Advisory Council on National Records and Archives
949:"Arms and Armour: Journal of the Royal Armouries"
436:Alexander Vesey Bethune (Nick) Norman (1977–1988)
1537:
307:The head of the Royal Armouries is known as the
206:, in the United States, in cooperation with the
736:Sir Henry Lee (1533–1611): Elizabethan Courtier
163:is the United Kingdom's national collection of
1571:Museums in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
697:"Director General and Master of the Armouries"
1069:
555:"Royal Armouries official website - About Us"
1556:Collections of museums in the United Kingdom
599:
597:
415:
86:
924:"Royal Armouries appoints director general"
470:The Royal Armouries formerly published the
1076:
1062:
302:
25:
779:Journals of the House of Lords, Volume 10
594:
234:, which had responsibility for firearms.
921:
915:
877:. Oxford University Press. November 2015
765:Journals of the House of Lords, Volume 9
667:"Royal Armouries and Office of Ordnance"
314:
251:
147:
133:
122:
1092:Department for Culture, Media and Sport
603:
352:Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche
297:Department for Culture, Media and Sport
100:Department for Culture, Media and Sport
1538:
1443:Horserace Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal
818:"Gloucester Citizen". 6 December 1938.
576:"Frazier Museum returns British armor"
179:Collection. Originally housed in the
1057:
895:
729:
727:
725:
723:
721:
719:
717:
608:. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.
606:The English Ordnance Office 1585–1625
854:
733:
1475:Channel Four Television Corporation
13:
714:
474:. In 2004, that was superseded by
14:
1602:
995:
896:Small, Jeremy (20 October 2008).
793:"Royal Armouries Library, London"
748:
547:
505:. 22 January 2018. Archived from
1520:
1519:
1085:
1047:Royal Armouries official website
922:Stephens, Simon (26 July 2022).
673:. September 2003. Archived from
433:Arthur Richard Dufty (1963–1976)
1318:Sports Grounds Safety Authority
1308:National Lottery Community Fund
1303:National Heritage Memorial Fund
967:
941:
889:
863:
848:
822:
811:
785:
771:
757:
742:
465:
291:established the Armouries as a
689:
659:
633:
612:
568:
521:
491:
406:(restored to office 1660–1670)
383:Sir Thomas Monson, 1st Baronet
1:
485:
280:and the following year a new
16:Armoury in the United Kingdom
1298:Horserace Betting Levy Board
1262:Treasure Valuation Committee
604:Stewart, Richard W. (1996).
293:non-departmental public body
259:, the Artillery Hall gallery
71:Non-departmental public body
35:Non-departmental public body
7:
1480:Churches Conservation Trust
1033:GPX (secondary coordinates)
751:The Ben Jonson Encyclopedia
152:Part of the display at the
10:
1607:
1551:Charities based in England
1424:Victoria and Albert Museum
1384:National Museums Liverpool
461:Nat Edwards (2022–present)
394:Robert Spaven (1647–?1648)
289:National Heritage Act 1983
213:
1517:
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1389:National Portrait Gallery
1346:
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1228:
1203:
1161:
1135:
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1028:GPX (primary coordinates)
1003:Map all coordinates using
175:Collection, and National
127:The Hall of Steel in the
105:
95:
69:
59:
49:
41:
33:
24:
1490:National Citizen Service
1011:Download coordinates as:
928:Museums Association News
472:Royal Armouries Yearbook
410:Office abolished in 1671
272:collection was moved to
143:Royal Armouries in Leeds
129:Royal Armouries in Leeds
1414:Sir John Soane's Museum
1404:Royal Museums Greenwich
953:Weapons History Journal
830:"Obituary: A. R. Dufty"
416:Master of the Armouries
309:Master of the Armouries
303:Master of the Armouries
295:, now sponsored by the
87:Master of the Armouries
1566:Army museums in London
1485:Historic Royal Palaces
1394:Natural History Museum
1283:British Film Institute
445:Paul Evans (2003–2008)
363:Master of the Ordnance
332:Master of the Ordnance
282:Royal Armouries Museum
260:
208:Frazier History Museum
185:Royal Armouries Museum
156:
145:
131:
1191:The Baroness Twycross
1102:100 Parliament Street
1023:GPX (all coordinates)
859:. p. dedication.
422:Charles John Ffoulkes
315:Master of the Armoury
255:
151:
137:
126:
1409:Science Museum Group
1374:Imperial War Museums
1278:Arts Council England
979:Taylor & Francis
871:"WILSON, Guy Murray"
204:Louisville, Kentucky
1546:Armories (military)
1288:Gambling Commission
975:"Arms & Armour"
898:"Museum boss quits"
580:The Courier-Journal
509:on 22 February 2021
482:scholarly journal.
448:Lieutenant-General
139:Gothic plate armour
45:1983 (41 years ago)
21:
1591:Armour collections
1429:Wallace Collection
1369:Museum of the Home
1215:Charity Commission
1119:Secretary of State
749:Brock, D.Heywood.
535:. 11 February 2020
361:(1554–1559) (also
330:(1485–1506) (also
261:
232:Office of Ordnance
157:
146:
132:
19:
1533:
1532:
1503:
1469:
1449:
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1220:National Archives
1199:
1198:
1181:Stephanie Peacock
1163:Under-Secretaries
1137:Minister of State
955:. 18 January 2017
855:Mazanski, Cyril.
836:. 6 November 1993
620:"Tower of London"
582:. 24 October 2014
478:, a twice-yearly
476:Arms & Armour
359:Richard Southwell
328:Richard Guildford
323:1462–1485 ??
239:Greenwich Armoury
119:
118:
96:Parent department
1598:
1561:Exempt charities
1523:
1522:
1499:
1465:
1379:National Gallery
1293:Historic England
1237:
1236:
1230:Non-departmental
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795:. Archived from
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746:
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712:
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677:on 15 March 2012
663:
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647:on 15 March 2012
643:. Archived from
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1586:Tower of London
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1529:
1513:
1509:The Royal Parks
1445:
1433:
1399:Royal Armouries
1364:Horniman Museum
1354:British Library
1342:
1266:
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1224:
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1205:Non-ministerial
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837:
834:The Independent
828:
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802:
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799:on 30 June 2016
791:
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786:
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772:
763:
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747:
743:
734:Thompson, Sue.
732:
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902:The York Press
888:
875:Who's Who 2016
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781:. p. 470.
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1333:VisitBritain
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1153:Chris Bryant
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982:. Retrieved
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874:
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