Napier of Magdala Battery, Victorian artillery battery on southwestern cliffs, Gibraltar
The Napier of Magdala Battery is a Victorian artillery installation on Gibraltar's southwestern cliffs with extensive fortifications. It overlooks both the Bay of Gibraltar and Rosia Bay, and houses one of only two remaining Armstrong 100-ton guns of its kind.
The battery was completed in 1883 in response to the threat posed by the Italian battleship Duilio. It was named after Field Marshal Robert Napier, a prominent British military commander of the Victorian era.
This installation forms part of Gibraltar's military architecture and shows how British coastal defense evolved during the 1800s. The site reflects the engineering priorities of that era, visible in its design and construction.
The site is reached via an unnamed road and sits on southwestern cliffs overlooking the sea. Wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for windy conditions, especially when walking along the cliff edges.
One of only two Armstrong 100-ton guns still in existence stands at this site, a rare weapon from the height of Victorian naval development. The cannon required roughly 450 kg of black powder to fire a shell weighing around 900 kg.
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