Casemated twin artillery batteries within Gibraltar’s Northern Defences fortifications.
Forbes' Batteries are a pair of casemated artillery batteries in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Situated at the eastern end of the Northern Defences, they form a complex group of fortifications at the end of Princes Lines and stand in front of the well-known Forbes' Quarry.
Forbes' Batteries are a pair of casemated artillery batteries forming part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. They are positioned at the eastern end of the Northern Defences, a complex group of fortifications that includes Castle Batteries, Princes Gallery, Bombproof Barracks, Hanover Battery, nearby magazines, and the Kings, Princes and Queen's Lines and galleries. The Forbes' Batteries stand at the end of Princes Lines and are associated with Forbes' Quarry, a famous quarry located behind the batteries that shares their name. Historical accounts note that in 1727 the battery mounted two 6-pounder guns, and in 1761 the British constructed the Upper and Lower Forbes' Batteries. Upper Forbes' Battery contains two magazines, one built of brick and one of stone, both built against the cliff wall. Above the batteries is Forbes' Lookout. During the Second World War a 40-mm Mark 3 gun on a mobile mounting was placed in Upper Forbes Battery in 1942 and remained there until December 1944. A Second World War iron cupola, cantilevered out from the rock face, housed a searchlight as part of the site’s wartime equipment.
