Series of historic artillery batteries on Windmill Hill in Gibraltar.
Windmill Hill Batteries are artillery batteries on Windmill Hill in Gibraltar, forming part of the fortifications of Gibraltar. Established by Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis between 1762 and 1777 on the site of old windmills, they overlook Europa Point. Their armament changed frequently, and most batteries remain largely intact.
Windmill Hill Batteries are a series of artillery batteries on Windmill Hill near the south of the Gibraltar peninsula. They form part of the fortifications of Gibraltar. The batteries were originally established by Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis during his governorship of Gibraltar between 1762 and 1777, on the site of old windmills that gave the hill its name. The term Windmill Hill Battery in the singular refers to one specific battery located almost equidistant between Genista Battery and Europa Advance Battery. The batteries line the escarpment of Windmill Hill, a plateau overlooking the lower ground of Europa Point. The flatness and relative inaccessibility of Windmill Hill made it an advantageous location for artillery positioned to repel attacks from the Atlantic or Mediterranean sides of Gibraltar, or to enfilade an amphibious landing. In 1865 a naming system was introduced, assigning letters from Emplacement A at the west end near Detention Barracks to Emplacement R on the east side by the Retrenched Barracks. During the Second World War, four 3.7‑inch anti‑aircraft guns were installed and two 9.2‑inch howitzers were mounted on Emplacement F. Most of the batteries remain largely intact, though some have been built upon and renamed.
