Rotunda Trust | Building Preservation Trust

Rotunda Trust is a Building Preservation Trust formed to acquire and conserve the Woolwich Rotunda, a Grade II* listed building designed by John Nash in 1814. The building has been on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register since 2007.

The trust was incorporated on 25 March 2026 as a company limited by guarantee (company number 17115816) and is applying for registration with the Charity Commission. Its charitable objects are the preservation of buildings of architectural or historic interest, with the Rotunda as its first and principal project.

Rotunda Irrepressible — in support of the Rotunda Trust Bid — Rotunda Irrepressible. A film made in support of the Rotunda Trust bid, April 2026.

Earliest known view of the Woolwich Rotunda, a hand-coloured print from 1820. — The earliest known view of the Rotunda at Woolwich, 1820. The building has just been re-erected on Green Hill and opened as a museum for the Royal Artillery. The canvas roof is visible; the lead covering was not applied until the 1860s. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

The building

The Rotunda was constructed at Carlton House, St James's Park, for the Wellington Fete of 21 July 1814. It was moved to Woolwich Common in 1818-1820 and enclosed in a brick drum. It served as the Royal Artillery Museum from 1820 to 2001. The laminated timber roof structure is one of the earliest known examples of large-scale laminated construction in Britain.

The building is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is being marketed for disposal by Avison Young. Historic England describes its condition as very bad. Read the full history of the building.

Interior of the Rotunda showing the conoid roof geometry. Twenty-four laminated timber rafters converge at the apex ring beam. — The interior of the Rotunda. Twenty-four laminated timber rafters rise from the brick drum to a ring beam at the apex, forming the conoid roof that Nash designed in 1814. The building is currently propped and scaffolded pending conservation. Photograph: FennecMedia. CC BY 4.0 International.

The central Doric column inside the Rotunda, viewed from below, with the names of 39 Royal Artillery officers painted on the shaft. — The central Doric column, inserted in 1819. The names and dates of 39 Royal Artillery officers are painted on one face, from Colonel Albert Borgard (1722) to General Sir Edward Bruce Hamley (1890s). The 24 principal rafters radiate outward above. Photograph: FennecMedia. CC BY 4.0 International.

Conservation and commercial use

The trust's role is to secure a long-term interest in the Rotunda, whether freehold or a long-term (50+ years) full repairing lease, and manage its conservation. Either mechanism ensures access to heritage grant funding and guarantees community access to the building for the long term. A commercial operating partner will fund the restoration through trading revenue. A binding covenant will require the commercial operator to contribute a fixed proportion of revenue to the trust for ongoing conservation.

This separation of roles, with a charity holding a secure long-term interest in the building and a commercial partner operating it, is the standard BPT model. It protects the heritage asset in perpetuity while allowing a sustainable commercial use.

The trust is open to working with any commercial partner capable of delivering a viable long-term use for the building. If you are a prospective buyer or developer interested in the Rotunda and would value a heritage conservation partner, we would welcome a conversation.

We will work with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Royal Artillery Museum, and other heritage partners on the building's future.

Our vision

The Rotunda was built as a place for people to gather. We want to return it to that role: a venue for community events, cultural programming, music, and private hire, with commercial income funding the building’s ongoing conservation.

Read our vision for the building’s future.

Grant funding

As a charitable Building Preservation Trust, Rotunda Trust is eligible to apply for heritage grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, and the Architectural Heritage Fund. These grants are available to charitable trusts acquiring and conserving buildings on the Heritage at Risk Register. They are not available to commercial entities acting alone.

Detail of a mechanical connection at a principal rafter node. Iron strap plates and timber pegs visible. — A mechanical connection at a principal rafter node, consistent with the 1814 construction. Forged iron straps, bolts, and pegs. No adhesive was used. The technique derived from naval shipbuilding methods, though the workforce was building carpenters. Photograph: FennecMedia. CC BY 4.0 International.

Contact

For enquiries about the trust or the Rotunda, please write to hello@rotundatrust.org.uk.