1. A Panoramic View of Gibraltar
This first view is missing in the Spanish Ministry of Defence collection. The one below is a similar version. The real one had been divided into two section for easier viewing. All the photos - not just this one - will enlarge when clicked on.
1. Royal Battery left and Rock Gun right 2.Boca Negra Battery 3. Willis’ Battery 4. Queen’s Battery 5. Queen’s Union Galleries 6. Peregil Hill 7. Site of the Old Round Tower Battery 8. Covered pathway 9. Glacis 10. Hanover Battery 11. Moorish Castle Northern Battery 12. Battery with large calibre guns under construction in 1894 13. Middle Hill Parapet 14. Sea Linewall 15. Waterport and entrance to Market and Casemates 16. Commercial Wharf
17. Montague Bastion 18. Chatham’s Counterguard 19. Prince Albert’s Battery 20. King’s Bastion and Barracks 21. Princess Alexander Battery 22. New Mole 23. Signal Station - El Hacho
2 . View of the Rock from the Foothills of Sierra Carbonera
The ruin on the foothills of Sierra Carbonera shown in this picture is known in Spain as la Torre Pedreras. It has often been confused with another old tower built on the summit of the hill known to the Spanish as La Torre de la Sierra Carbonera - or “Silla de la Reina” - and to the English as the “Queen of Spain’s Chair”. Curiously the names do not refer to the same queen.
1. The Rock of Gibraltar 2. The Bay 3. The town of La Línea de la Concepción 4. Sandy area
5. Ruins of the medieval tower known as la Torre Pedreras
3. The Rock from the Spanish side of the Isthmus
The first caption on this one identifies the northern peak of the Rock as “el Monte de las Monas” - a name which I have not heard of before. A far more common name is “Rock Gun”. Caption 10 reflects Spanish annoyance at what was perceived by them as British encroachment of the Neutral Ground and an incorrect interpretation of the Treaty of Utrecht.
1. Rock Gun - Monte de las Monas 2. Signal Station - El Hacho 3. St George’s Battery inside St Georges Hall 4. Queen’s Battery inside the Galeries 5. Union Batteries inside the Galleries 6. Site of the Old Round Tower Battery 7. Peregil Hill 8. Tower of Homage - Moorish Castle 9. Town of Gibraltar 10. North Front hutments used as barracks (on usurped neutral territory) 11. Isthmus sands
4. The Isthmus and the curve of the Bay
1. The Mediterranean 2. Sierra Carbonera 3. La Línea de la Concepción 4. Spanish sentry boxes 5. English sentry boxes 6. Cemeteries 7. Fresh Water Distillation Plant 8. Water Mole 9. Huts used as barracks by the English infantry 10. Shipyards 11. Stone or brick Mole 12. Bayside Barrier 13. Queen Victoria Road 14. Hanover Battery 15. The Innundation 16. North Front Glacis
Caption 5 refers to a fishing village called la Atunara.
1. Sierra Carbonera 2. The Mediterranean 3. La Línea de la Concepción 4. Pavillions for Spanish Officers 5. La Tunara 6. English sentry boxes 7. Advanced Spanish guard houses 8. Advanced Spanish guard houses 9. Water Mole 10. Fresh Water Distillation Plant 11. Huts used as barracks by the English infantry 12. Brick Mole 13. Bayside Barrier 14. The Inundation 15. Queen Victoria Road 16. North Front Glacis 17. Glacis covered pathway 18. Moorish Castle Cruchette battery No.6
6. Usurped Isthmus territory
Compare the title of this photograph with caption 10 of photograph No. 3
1. The Mediterranean 2. Spanish guard houses 3. Spanish sentry boxes 4. English shooting targets 5. Training ground and racecourse 6. Racecourse grandstand and stables 7. Cemeteries 8. Wood Stores
7. Rock of the Apes and Peregil Hill
The number identifying captions 14 and 19 are missing on the photograph.
1. Rock Gun Battery 2. Salto del Lobo 3. St George’s Battery - the Galleries 4. Cornwallis Battery - the Galleries 5. Boca NegraBattery 6. Willis’ Battery 7. Windsor Battery 8. Queen’s Battery 9. Union Batery - higer - Dientes de la Virja 10. Union Battery - lower - Dientes de la Vieja 11. Old Round Tower Battery 12. Reverse Casemates 13. East Gallery 14. Reverse Gallery 15. Middle Hill Battery - La Silleta 16. Modern Battery with large calibre guns 17. Covered pathway to the Moorish Castle 18. Covered pathway to Hanover Battery 19. Path through Peregil Hill 20. Bayside Barrier
8. Rock Gun - or Northern Summit of the Rock
1. San Roque 2. Sierra Carbonera 3. La Pedrera - The Queen of Spain’s Chair 4. The Bay
5. San Felipe breakwater 6. La Línea de la Concepción 7. Munitions arsenal 8. Fort on Summit 9. East facing battery 10. The Mediterranean
9. Landport Front
1 to 6. Northern Batteries of the Moorish Castle 7. Higher batteries 8. Hanover’s Battery 9 to 12. Flanking Batteries 13. Landport Curtain - Grand Battery 14. Prince of Hess Bastion 15. Landport cover defences 16. Curtain Wall of the Bastion 17. Landport Gate and drawbridge 18. Ditch 19. Glacis covered pathways 20. Signal Station - El Hacho 21. Moorish Castle Artillery barracks 22. Eastern section of the Moorish Castle precinct
10. Landport Gate Front and Ditch
The Moorish Castle no 6 and 7 batteries were known as Crutchett’s Batteries. See photograph 5 for a different view of the lower Crutchett’s Battery.
1. Windsor Battery (Extreme top left) 2. Wall flanking Batteries 3. Northern wall of the Moorish Castle 4. Crutchett’s Battery 5. Landport Gate Curtain 6. Prince of Hesse Bastion 7. Curtain Wall of the Bastion 8. Hanover’s Battery 9. Batteries flanking the glacis and the Ditch 10. Landport Gate and drawbridge 11. Ramp for access to the ditch 12. Curtain wall drawbridge
Casemates Gates were build on the site of the original medieval Waterport gate. Caption 15 should therefore perhaps read Casemates Gates rather than Waterport Gates or Puertas de Mar which were at the time of the Commission part of the 1st line of defences.
1. Landport Glacis 2. Ditches 3. Curtain wall 4. Prince of Hesse Bastion 5. Landport Curtain 6. First line of bastions and fortifications at Waterport 7. Commercial wharf 8. Old Mole 9. Second line of bastions and fortifications at Waterport 10. Montague Bastion 11. Casemates and Pavilions 12. Harbour Master’s Office or Port Office and Guardroom 13. Casemates Barracks 14. Northern battery No. 5 of the Moorish Castle 15. Casemates Gate
12. Union of Sea and Land Fortifications
The word “Caponera” is used to describe caption 12. This translates into either “a prison” or a “chicken coop” in English. Neither seem to fit I have left it out in the description shown below.
1. Puente Marga 2. Punta Mala 3. El Campamneto 4. San Roque 5. San Felipe breakwater 6. La Pedrera - Queen of Spain’s Chair 7. Sierra Carbonera 8. La Línea de la Concepción 9. Female bathing facilities at the foot of the glacis 10. Landport glacis 11. Glacis covered pathway 12. Top of ditch of the curtain wall 13. Curtain wall 14. Curtain wall drawbridge 15. Ramp leading to and from the ditch 16. Landport Gate ditch 17. Curtain battery 18. Prince of Hess Bastion 19. Line of Bastions and batteries of Waterport Gate 20. Patio of Casemates Barracks 21. Terrace of Casemates Barracks
1870 - Photos of Gibraltar - Introduction
1870 - Photos of Gibraltar - Part 1
1870 - Photos of Gibraltar - Part 2
1870 - Photos of Gibraltar - Part 3
1870 - Photos of Gibraltar - Part 4