O'Hara's Battery

O'Hara's Battery sits at 426 metres on the summit ridge, the highest point of the Rock, with a nine-point-two inch coastal gun still mounted in its emplacement, installed in the early twentieth century to cover the approaches to the strait. The magazines and crew spaces underneath are open. It is the top of the Mediterranean Steps and the highest publicly accessible point in Gibraltar. The gun weighs around twenty eight tonnes and could throw a shell some twenty seven kilometres.

Background

The battery was finished in 1890 on the site of an older watchtower known as O'Hara's Folly, which had been marked for demolition in 1888. Both took their name from General Charles O'Hara, who lived from 1740 to 1802 and governed Gibraltar from 1795 until his death. The first gun, a 6-inch breech loading gun, sat on a Vavasseur mounting. In 1901 the battery received a 9.2 inch Mark X BL gun, able to fire 29,000 yards. It stood open to the weather for more than three decades, until a steel shield was fitted in 1934. It was last fired on 7 April 1976, in training. After restoration in 2009, the battery opened to the public in May 2010.

Source: Wikipedia, "O'Hara's Battery"

Highlights

• The nine-point-two gun - the coastal piece still mounted in place.
• The summit - 426 metres, the highest point of the Rock.
• The magazines - the underground crew and ammunition spaces.
• The strait view - the shipping lane the gun was there to cover.

When to go

April to October is the mild season. Levanter cloud closes the view frequently. Access is through the Nature Reserve ticket.

Good to know

The battery has been closed for restoration at times. Levanter cloud closes the view often. Access requires the Nature Reserve ticket.

Nearby

The Mediterranean Steps run up to it, and the Skywalk is north.

Key facts