The People of Gibraltar

2019 - The 200 Caves of Gibraltar - Part 13

Star Chamber Cave

This cave was used as the starting point for the creation of Gibraltar’s Lower Galleries. The work was carried out from 1787 to 1789 by the Soldier Artificer Company, a corps that was established on the Rock in 1772. It was a first for Gibraltar as previously the Royal Artillery had been made up only of officers , the dirty work being carried out by civilians. The corps kept its separate identity until 1797.

(Wikimedia)

These tunnels unlike the upper galleries are not really a tourist attraction. If anybody manages to get the required permission to visit them in order to have a look at the cave they would have to travel through Hanover and King’s Galleries to get to it. In 1941 the King's Regiment Battalion used the cave as its Headquarters.

Swallow Nest Cave
According to the undated and unattributed cave plan it can be found on the shores of the eastern side of the Rock relatively close and to the south of Marble Arch Cave. It lies within the World Heritage site but is not earmarked as having any further potential.

Tina’s Fissure
No details anywhere – but see Levant Cave

Transmitter Fissure Cave
Transmitter Fissure Treasure Cave
Reservoir Cave.
I am not entirely sure whether these three are one and the same cave.
See Collin’s Cave

Unnamed Cave 1
Unnamed Caves 3 to 9
Unnamed caves 10 to 14
All these thirteen unnamed caves are found within the World Heritage Site
Cave 1 is simply listed as "submerged".
Caves 3 to 9 are also submerged but listed as having potential for further research
Caves 10 to 14 are not submerged and are listed as not having potential for future research

Vanguard Cave
See Gorham’s Cave Complex

Viney Quarry Cave
See also Marble Arch Cave
I cannot find any decent information on Vinny Quarry Cave anywhere but it seems to me that the name offers a clue.

From 1893 to the early years of the 20th century Gibraltar was engulfed in a massive building project – the creation of a brand-new harbour – and by “harbour” I really mean the construction of a huge dockyard, a detached mole, several monumental dry docks, the lengthening of the South moles and so forth. To carry this work, quarries were set up all over the place to harvest gravel.

North Front store of stone blocks created from quarry gravel and cement ready for delivery

As far as I can make out most of the major quarries were on the east side of the Rock but there were a few elsewhere. The work that resulted in the almost total destruction of a cliff known as the Devil’s Bowling Green just above Camp Bay is one of them – an event that has resulted in the Bay still being known in local parlance as “el Kwory”.

But there were other nearby perhaps less well-known quarries on the west side such as Windmill Quarry and Viney Quarry.

Ordnance Map (Date unknown)

Vinny Quarry bottom left (1935)

And it is of course Vinny Quarry that is of interest especially as an underground construction going by the name of Vinny Quarry Shelter appears on a map of Gibraltar’s Tunnels. It suggests that the Cave of the same name was either discovered during routine work on the quarry or during WWII when the shelter was being built.

The appearance of a another very nearby shelter called Marble Arch, made me think that its construction might also be connected to the naming and location of Marble Arch Cave. Not so, as Marble Arch Cave is actually a submerged cave on the eastern side of the Rock and is listed within the World Heritage site.

Willis’s Cave

A plateau on the northern defences with good views over the entire isthmus was used since 1704 onward to construct a series of differently named batteries often referred to collectively as Willis’s Battery - in the singular. Don’t ask me why. The name comes from an enthusiastic marine lieutenant Thomas Willis who installed its first guns in 1704.

Willis’s Battery (1826 - Thomas Staunton St Clair)

According to this plan Willis’s Cave – identified as “A” - is located somewhere near this plateau and must have been named after Thomas Willis. I don’t know when though (Undated and unattributed)

Wilson's Cave
Named after Major W.H. Wilson a Company Commander of the RE.

Wilson's Cave

According to Tito Vallejo it was discovered during WWII during the excavations of Magazine Ramp close to Green Lane Magazine. While mining a section of the tunnel caved in revealing a natural cavity of some size within the natural limestone.

Wilsons Cave – 1944 with revisions - Batteries and underground tunnels of Gibraltar – Colonel Pop Gareze

Winkie’s Cave
Listed within the World Heritage site but not earmarked as having any further potential.

Caves unknown to me
These caves are identified within the Nature Reserve in 2005.