Admiralty Street

The Admiralty was, until 1964, the name for the Royal Naval department of the Ministry of Defence.

Historically the Navy was easily the biggest and costliest of the Crown's responsibilities and the Royal Dockyards represented not only the largest industrial enterprise in England - but also the world. The Admiralty (founded in 1512) was the Government department created to implement strategy and policy made by the British Government. Nominally it was headed, until 1709, by the Lord High Admiral, but later it was headed by the Admiralty Board - seven Lords Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral. The senior member of this body was known as the First Lord of the Admiralty, and occasionally it might be an admiral in this post, usually though it was a civilian and always it was a member of the Cabinet. The Admiralty Office was in London, Whitehall and there the First Lord lived in a large suite of apartments with 50-60 staff. The Admiralty Board met every day, including Christmas Day, and they determined the movement of all naval ships, the promotion of officers, all aspects of administration and, importantly for dockyard towns, the commissioning of ships.

In an area close to the Royal Naval Barracks, Admiralty Street, Keyham, runs at right angles to Royal Navy Avenue and parallel to Fleet Street.