Historic coastal artillery fort guarding Rosia Bay on Gibraltar’s Rock.
Parson’s Lodge Battery is a coastal artillery fort at Rosia Bay in Gibraltar, part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar. Originally called the 9th Rosia Battery, it later mounted powerful rifled muzzle‑loading guns protecting Gibraltar’s only natural harbour. The site is owned by the Government of Gibraltar and closed to the public.
Parson’s Lodge Battery is a coastal artillery battery and fortification at Rosia Bay in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It forms part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar and stands above the territory’s only natural harbour. The British had installed guns around Rosia Bay by 1720, and by 1744 there were over 20. The position was originally known as the 9th Rosia Battery. The name Parson’s Lodge is first recorded in 1761 and is reputed to refer to a dwelling of the parson of a church and hermitage named St. John the Green. In the nineteenth century, Major‑General John Thomas Jones inspected Gibraltar’s defences and advised improvements that led to eight guns being installed in 1842. At the height of its military importance, Parson’s Lodge Battery mounted three 10‑inch rifled muzzle‑loading guns, installed in 1884, which guarded approaches to Rosia Bay. These guns fired 400‑pound shells several miles and were protected by Gibraltar Shields, made of thick iron and teak. The battery served in both World Wars; in 1941 it carried anti‑aircraft and anti‑tank guns plus searchlights. The military abandoned the site in the 1950s. Gibraltar Heritage Trust extensively restored it in 1994, and the grounds now include a Gibraltar Museum field centre.
