Listing Type : Land Battery
Location : Gibraltar
The Seven Castle Batteries
These batteries were built on the towers that ran down along the wall from the Moorish Castle to Grand Casemates.
- 1st Castle Battery is the tower closest to the Tower of Homage. The battery was armed as follows by the British. 1859 1 x 24lbs Carronade, removed by 1886
- 2nd Castle Battery was armed with 2 x 24-pdr in 1859, removed by 1886.
- 3rd Castle Battery armed with 3rd 2 x 24-pdr in 1859, removed by 1886.
- 4th Castle Battery armed with 3 x 32-pdr in 1859, removed by 1886. A searchlight position was built on the tower.
- 5th Castle Battery was armed with 1859 5 x 24-pdr in 1859 and in 1886 there were 2 x 64/32lbs RML guns mounted. A Defence Electric Light was later built on the location and during World War 2 concrete shelters were also added.
- 6th Castle Battery also known as Upper Crutchetts Battery. In 1859 there were 2 x 24-pdr guns mounted here and in 1886 there were emplacements for 3 x 32-pdr SB of 56-cwt.
- 7th Castle Battery, also known as Lower Crutchetts Battery. This battery lies at the bottom of the line of batteries running down from the Moorish Castle. It overlooks the main Landport Gate. In 1859 there were 3 x 32 lbs gun at this location. By 1886 it would appear that there were still 3 x3 2lbs SB 56-cwt guns mounted. Two of these guns were in casemated positions facing North, while the third gun covered the entrance to Landport. The latter position was built over in WW2 with a machinegun position. There is also a looped wall covering the Landport gate approaches. A natural cave in the rear of the position has been used as a Magazine. One of the earlier casemated positions was coveted to hold an anti-tank gun, in WW2.
Castle Communication was a short tunnel built in 1789 to link the barracks at Moorish Castle to Crutchett’s Ramp and then into the King’s Lines. It goes through the wall between 3rd and 4th Castle Batteries.