The Moorish Castle
The Lighthouse at Europa Point
The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park
Saint Michael's Cave
Grand Casemates Square
A City Under Siege Exhibition
Gibraltar Monkeys
The Skywalk
Nelson's Anchorage & The 100 Ton Gun
The Upper Rock Nature Reserve
O'Hara's Battery
Click to play full video
£385,000
2 Bed Apartment for Sale
£395,000
Studio Apartment for Sale
£999,950
2 Bed Apartment for Sale
£665,000
3 Bed Apartment for Sale
£530,000
2 Bed Apartment for Sale
Cork and Fork
Simo Susan York --
Very tasty and healthy dishes! Nice ambient and very friendly and welcoming personnel. Best carrot... Read More
Malak
Jayne Louise Bell --
Amazing mixed wrap!! Absolutely love it.... Read More
Hacienda Patagonica
Emma Fenwick --
Fantastic tasty food excellent service and price.... Read More
Hot and Cold
Vi Mc --
Great quality appliances and cheapest in town. 5 star service.... Read More
';
Exploring the Great Siege Tunnels of Gibraltar is most certainly not something you want to miss out on doing during your next visit to Gibraltar.
One of Gibraltar’s most greatest attractions, they were carved out by the Merchant Marines in order to defend Gibraltar during one of the many sieges, this one aptly called the Great Siege of 1779 to 1783.
During the time of the American War of Independence against Britain, perhaps taking advantage of a time when Britain’s attentions were focused elsewhere, Spain and France took the opportunity to advance and attempt to recapture the “Rock” from the British, and began what was the fourteenth siege against Gibraltar, always known as the Great Siege.
In July of 1779 till February of 1783, the Rock was under siege, and gradually the Spanish and French troops advanced, until in the latter part of 1782, the troops were so close to the Rock that it appeared that none of the existing batteries of Gibraltar could fire upon them due to the angle.
It is said that the governor then, General Elliot, offered a substantial reward (a bounty of 1,000 Spanish dollars) to anyone who could find a way to get the cannons onto the northern face of the rock, which was known as the “Notch”.
Sergeant-Major Henry Ince, an ex nail-maker, then miner and preacher, before enlisting in the Queens Royal Regiment of Foot, was credited with finding the answer, though its unknown if he actually received his 1,000 dollar reward. According to a story however, handed down by the descendants of soldiers who had served in the company, he did end up receiving one guinea per running foot. If this were the case, it would have amounted to quite a reasonable sum of money.
Sergeant-Major Henry Ince, who was a member of the company of Military Artificers, forerunners of the Royal Engineers, said that he believed this could be accomplished by tunneling a gallery through the “Rock” and he was granted permission to begin the work.
Relying only on brute force, the muscle of their arms, their sledgehammers and metal bars, the company of men used gunpowder to blast out part of the tunnel, and made their way through about eighty feet of rock and dirt.
As the work moved along, the fumes that emitted from the blasting gunpowder began to take its toll on the men and they decided to vent the area to release it and afford themselves some fresh air.
The original goal of the tunnels was to give the men the ability to get a cannon from where they were, over to the northern face of the rock which is known as the Notch, but after making an opening and seeing the advantage of mounting a cannon right there within the tunnel, the initial “Notch” plan was upgraded to a totally new and improved idea.
Nearly as one the men realized what an incredible opportunity this would be and how well it would work for the cannons. Almost immediately, one was mounted at this initial opening, without waiting for their tunnel to reach the “Notch” area.
After this, more cannons were taken into the tunnels and holes were cut into the rock all along the side that faced the mainland. When the visitor is crossing into Gibraltar, if you look carefully, you will see the holes in the face of the “Rock” that tell of this incredible feat.
After a ceasefire had been declared, the Duc de Crillon, the French General commanding the Franco-Spanish army, visited the tunnels. So amazed at their accomplishment, he exclaimed, ’These works are worthy of the Romans!’
When the cannons were laid in place, a rod was placed above them and wet cloths hung from it, to prevent the sparks from the cannon from flying backwards and igniting the remaining powder. Some areas in the tunnels went up nearly a story or two, and were for the very brave or the very foolhardy to traverse, while other areas lay on the ground, so the shooting could take place from multiple levels.
In the beginning the tunnel was only 82 feet long, however by the end of the Second World War, when diamond drills and better methods of tunneling existed, the tunnels traversed a distance of more than thirty miles in length, winding and turning as they went.
Today, the visitor to the Great Siege Tunnels will note that they seem to go on for eternity, and that upon entering on one side of Gibraltar, you can quite literally end up nearly on the other side of the Rock.
On that note. Make sure that you wear comfy shoes when you visit the Great Siege Tunnels. It’s been said that the hike down into the tunnels is fairly easily accomplished as its downhill most of the way, but lest we forget, there is also that return trip! The unique perspective of a history of multiple sieges and multiple rulers make it an unforgettable experience.
Make sure you schedule some time to explore the Great Siege Tunnels of Gibraltar on your next visit to the “Rock”.
PLEASE NOTE:
If there is any information that you feel is outdated, incorrect, or maybe lacking further insight that you could offer other readers on the above topic, please feel free to send us your comments or suggestions using the following link. We appreciate your time involved and will take your feedback very seriously. Thank you!
The visit is captivating. You see the huge tunnels and their windows towards the Gibraltar Airport and La Linea. The tunnels dug by the British during the 18th century are well lit and aerated. There are many pieces of period artillery in excellent state with life size models of soldiers that give you an image of war life. There are many written explanations that detail the Great Siege War and ...
A MUST GO!!! The Rock of Gibraltar is world famous, but what people don't know is that it is hollow to some degree. There is a natural cave system that you can explore. Also there are tunnels built in the early 1700s, as well as in WWII--35 miles of them. Watch out for the monkeys, who are more deft than you are. They will steal any food or anything they remotely think is food!
I took the family to visit Gibraltar. One of the things we did was visit the Great Siege Tunnels. Apart from seeing the tunnels and the amazing depictions of soldiers tunneling, the history behind it all is incredible. Would suggest wearing comfy shoes, cause its quite a long walk to the end of the tunnels (if you want to see it all). Nice and cool inside though, especially if you are visiting ...
Having lived in southern Spain for over 10 years now, my family and I are regular visitors to Gibraltar. Whether it's to browse round the UK branded shops or visit the various tourist attractions, we always have a good time. On our last visit we investigated the Great Siege Tunnels. As a school boy in Scotland I visited Ypres in Belgium as part of my history studies of the First World War. It ...
Fantastic experience. I had no idea just how much tunneling was actually done inside the Rock of Gibraltar. So much history to absorb and enjoy. I highly recommend anyone visiting Gibraltar to take a tour of these amazing tunnels!
Click to play full video
Las Iguanas in Ocean Village
Little Bay Indian Tapas Bar & Restaurant...
Gill's in Ocean Village
Yummy Tummies in Ocean Village
The Ship in Ocean Village
54 Dining & Cafe in Ocean Village
Grille 53 in Ocean Village
Charlie's Steak House & Grill in Ocean Village
Kamakura Japanese Cuisine in Ocean Village
Freska in Ocean Village
Wagamama in Ocean Village
Pizza Express in Ocean Village
Tramonti
Carol Hague --
We love this restaurant. Use it whenever in Gibraltar.... Read More
Little Rock Cafe
Skarlett Fisher --
Really good menu here and always enjoy the food.... Read More
Rock Sailing
Josh Cameron --
Rock Sailing was an amazing experience for me. Through the 14 weeks of attending my Fast track... Read More
La Parrilla on the Go!
Jenna Da Silva --
Eaten from here more times than I want to admit 🙈 Never had a bad meal. Can and will make pretty... Read More
