Historic artillery battery on the Rock of Gibraltar’s Upper Rock.
Farringdon's Battery is an artillery battery in Gibraltar’s Upper Rock Nature Reserve, above the Rock’s north face. Formerly called Willis' Battery, it is part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar. Named in 1790 after Sir Anthony Farrington, it remains in good condition and is listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
Farringdon's Battery is an artillery battery forming part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar, situated above the north face of the Rock of Gibraltar within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. It was previously known as Willis' Battery, on the site of Willis' Hill, which came to prominence during the Thirteenth Siege of Gibraltar in 1727 when Spanish besiegers attempted unsuccessfully to mine under the British positions. The battery is first known to have been used during the Great Siege of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783. In 1790 it was named after Sir Anthony Farrington, a lieutenant-colonel in charge of the artillery on the Rock, who had also served in Gibraltar from 1759 to 1763 before fighting in the American War of Independence. The spelling of its name appears early on as “Farringdon’s,” used by John Drinkwater Bethune in his 1786 history of the siege. By 1859 seven guns were recorded at the battery. It was later adapted for rifled muzzle-loading guns and saw modifications during World War II, including a fixed beam searchlight and concrete additions. Today, Farringdon's Battery remains in good order, is owned by the Government of Gibraltar, open to the public, and listed with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
