Garden Battery

Garden Battery is an underground artillery installation at Tigné Point designed with three gun emplacements, including two 6-inch and one 9.2-inch cannon mounted on disappearing gun carriages. The fortification was cut into solid rock to provide cover and stability for the defensive weapons.

The British military constructed this fortification between 1889 and 1894 to reinforce Malta's coastal defenses against naval threats. During World War II, the original armaments were replaced with anti-aircraft guns that remained operational until 1943.

The battery represents the British military engineering practices of the late 19th century through its construction methods and strategic placement.

The remains lie beneath ground level at Tigné Point and are not currently open as a typical visitor site. Visitors can explore the area and learn about the site through future heritage routes and information markers being developed.

The cannons were mounted on disappearing gun carriages, an innovative engineering solution that allowed the weapon to automatically retract below the protective parapet after firing. This system made the installation harder to target and was widely used in late 19th-century fortifications.

Location: Sliema

Inception: 1889

GPS coordinates: 35.90797,14.51142

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:03