Children discover history of Rosia Bay
Photos by Johnny Bugeja
Youngsters discovered the history of Rosia Bay and its surroundings during an interactive tour on Wednesday.
Led by Phil Smith, Senior Guide at the Gibraltar National Museum, the initiative forms part of the museum’s annual ‘Walks Through History’ within the Summer Sports and Leisure Programme.
The walks aim to immerse youngsters into the array of history that surrounds Gibraltar in its various sites.
The first tour was at Rosia Bay, the Rock’s only natural harbour, which played a pivotal strategic role throughout various conflicts.
The 100-ton Gun, which to the children’s surprise actually weighs 102 tonnes, overlooks the Bay at the Napier of Magdala Battery, named after Governor of the 1870s and 80s Lord Napier of Magdala.
Both Gibraltar and Malta were given two 100-ton guns each.
The Rock once had a second 100-ton gun, which was situated at Victoria Battery.
These guns, designed by William Armstrong, were also sold to the Italian Navy, and were important in defending British territories in the Mediterranean.
The gun at the Napier of Magdala Battery broke, so men at the time had the tough task of transporting the one at Victoria Battery to the Napier of Magdala Battery.
At one point, around 50 more cannon on the Rock also protected Rosia Bay.
Parson’s Lodge was next in the tour, where the children enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the area of Rosia Bay, where Admiral Nelson’s body was brought ashore preserved in a barrel of spirits after the Battle of Trafalgar.
The youngsters also got to view sites where coastal artillery searchlights would have been set up, which illuminated to an equivalent of 200 million candles, projecting over four kilometres.
They then proceeded to the gunpowder storage facilities in Parson’s Lodge, which in use had to be dry and free from any items that could cause a spark.
There were a range of guns at Parson’s Lodge, such as an 18-ton and 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading gun, which was never fired.
The ‘Walks Through History’ run every Wednesday until August 28 this summer, with tours of the City Walls, WW2 Tunnels, Great Siege Tunnels and Moorish Castle also on the agenda, as well as, a boat tour where youngsters have the chance of seeing dolphins and the Gorham’s Cave Complex from sea.