Northern Defences project looks ahead to 2026

After years of steady progress, the Northern Defences have entered a new phase of work as plans are set out for 2026, with the focus shifting from recovery and exposure to interpretation, engagement and consolidation.

The Northern Defences was once an overgrown landscape, known locally as the Jungle due to both how it looked and some of the illicit activities that used to go on there. Now thanks to the work of a team led by Carl Viagas the area has been become an oasis near the heart of the city, its defensive system exposed and the history of that area becoming more known.

Hard labour unveiled some historic elements, with more works in store, but this year the team will also shift their focus shifts to interpretation, engagement and consolidation with an ambitious programme for the year ahead.

Over the past few years the team removed vegetation and opened up long-hidden communication lines, walls and defensive features, allowing the Northern Defences to be understood as a continuous system from the lower works at Landport to the upper sections.

Previously undocumented alignments have also been revealed, which prompted renewed archaeological and historical interest. Further targeted clearance is planned for 2026 in areas where features are only partially visible, with an emphasis on protection and long-term management.

2026 will also see increased attention on research and interpretation, particularly around the Puerta de Granada and the adjacent Villa Vieja. Recent findings, as written about by Mr Viagas in this newspaper, indicate that these areas may have formed part of a more heavily militarised landscape than previously thought, with a strategic role in controlling access, managing retreat and supporting defence over an extended period. Ongoing research, mapping and comparative studies will inform updated interpretation on site.

The Northern Defences will continue to be used, and more frequently, as an educational resource, with growing numbers of school groups visiting to study Gibraltar’s heritage on site. Guided walks and community-led activities are also increasing.

Private sector investment is expected to support the continued transformation of the area into a major visitor attraction, while maintaining public ownership and heritage protection.

The team plan improvements to facilities, interpretation and visitor infrastructure with the aim of presenting the story of the Islamic, Spanish and British periods through the physical remains across the site.

Project leaders describe the Northern Defences as entering 2026 on firm foundations, with clearance work clarifying the structure of the defences, new research reshaping historical narratives, community use expanding and investment aligning plans with delivery.