Universities at Medway - Campus History

The shared campus is on a site of considerable historical significance. At the beginning of the 20th century HMS Pembroke Royal Naval Barracks were built on the terraced site and by the Second World War it accommodated up to 23,000 men. The upper and lower parts of the site are located either side of the retaining wall and the Central Avenue leads to a gunnery school.

The Drill Hall and Parade Ground were constructed in 1903 before the adjacent barracks were fully completed in 1908/09.

In 1981 it was decided that operations in the dockyard and HMS Pembroke to come to an end and they were finally closed in 1984.

In 1994, the University of Greenwich established a campus on the upper level of the site, taking over a specialist government research department, the Natural Resources Institute.

Over the next decade, the University of Greenwich at Medway invested heavily to improve and expand its facilities, which now include two halls of residence, a sports hall and extensive laboratories and testing facilities to support teaching, research and consultancy in science, engineering and sustainable development.

The Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP, then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, opened the new sports science laboratories on the site. A new building has been erected at Medway to house the Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling, which is due to open later in 2006.

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