Historic artillery battery beneath Catholic Community Centre on Gibraltar’s west side.
Zoca Flank Battery is an artillery battery on the west side of Gibraltar, part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar. Built between 1877 and 1879, it received a 12.5‑inch rifled muzzle‑loading gun with a Gibraltar Shield. The Catholic Community Centre was later constructed on top, leaving the battery itself intact.
Zoca Flank Battery is an artillery battery on the west side of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, forming part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar. The site has hosted a fortification since Gibraltar’s Moorish period, when a tower stood here on the old Moorish city wall. Under Spanish control, by 1627 the tower was reduced, and by the time of the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–1783) it had become a broad platform incorporating an artillery battery. Originally a small bastion between the larger Orange and King’s Bastions, its Spanish‑era and Great Siege appearances are recorded in contemporary illustrations. During construction of the later battery, the defensive line was moved from the Line Wall Curtain to Prince Albert’s Front. An underground garage now occupies the gap, though remains of the original round tower are still visible. Between 1877 and 1879 the battery was upgraded with a 12.5‑inch rifled muzzle‑loading gun in a casemate, protected by an iron “Gibraltar Shield”, similar to installations on King’s Bastion and Wellington Front. In the Second World War, an Anti‑Aircraft Searchlight from King’s Bastion and a Gun Laying Radar were installed here. In 1969 the Catholic Community Centre was built above the intact battery, and the 12.5‑inch gun was moved to a nearby ground position.
