Military-discovered limestone cave within Gibraltar’s wartime tunnel system near Flat Bastion.
Wilson's Cave is a limestone cave inside the Rock of Gibraltar in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Discovered during World War II when Magazine Ramp excavation collapsed into a natural cavity, it lies near Flat Bastion Hospital and Green Lane Magazine, and is named after Royal Engineers officer Major W.H. Wilson.
Wilson's Cave is a limestone cave within the Rock of Gibraltar, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is shown on a 1944 map of the batteries and underground tunnels of Gibraltar by Colonel Joseph Marie Emile “Pop” Gareze, near the Magazine Ramp of Green Lane Magazine to the north of Flat Bastion Hospital. The cave was discovered during World War II when Magazine Ramp was being excavated. Miners carrying out extensive tunnelling to develop a blast trap for a nearby magazine experienced a collapse in part of the tunnel, which opened into a natural limestone cavity. The magazine was served from Doncaster Adit off the Great North Road, which provided vehicular access to the outside. Wilson's Cave is named after Major W. H. Wilson, commander of the Royal Engineers tunnelling company that found it. In November 1944 the Illustrated London News reported the discovery of the cave by British sappers and described its interior. The cave was about 60 feet long and around 30 feet high on average, with stalagmites and stalactites of varying diameters, a steep “glacier” of limestone flowing from one end, and a roof formation resembling a petrified curtain. It is referenced in historical documentation on Gibraltar’s wartime tunnels.
