Nineteenth-century coastal artillery battery strengthening Gibraltar’s western sea defences.
Victoria Battery was a nineteenth-century artillery battery on Gibraltar’s west side, part of the wider Fortifications of Gibraltar. Built by 1843 atop the earlier Princess of Wales Batteries, it mounted successive generations of guns and helped strengthen coastal defences between Europa Point and the town.
Victoria Battery was an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar and formed part of the Fortifications of Gibraltar. One of two batteries with the same name honouring Queen Victoria, it was built in the 1840s on top of the earlier Princess of Wales Batteries, following a report on Gibraltar’s defences by Major-General Sir John Thomas Jones. Located on the west side of Gibraltar, it was one of several “retired” batteries constructed to improve coastal defences between Europa Point and the town. Completed by 1843, the battery acquired the nickname “Snake in the Grass Battery” because of its irregular, undulating shape, which measured about 200 yards in length. It originally mounted fifteen 32‑pounder guns by 1850. In 1863 seven of these were replaced by 68‑pounders. A further review in 1868 by Colonel W.F.D. Jervois recommended larger rifled muzzle-loading guns. Two 9‑inch RMLs with iron casemates were installed on the south flank, reducing space for other guns to seven emplacements, three later holding 80‑pounder RMLs by 1888. The 9‑inch guns were subsequently replaced by 10‑inch RMLs. All 80‑pounders were removed in 1892 and the 10‑inch guns followed in 1900, ending the battery’s active armament.
