![Map of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Map_of_the_Upper_Rock_Nature_Reserve.gif)
The footpaths of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
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provide access to key areas of the
Upper Rock Nature Reserve, a refuge for hundreds of species of flora and fauna which in some cases are found nowhere else in Europe. The reserve occupies the upper part of the
Rock of Gibraltar, a long and narrow mountain that rises to a maximum height of above sea level, and constitutes around 40 per cent of Gibraltar's total land area. The unusual geology of the Rock of Gibraltar – a
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
peak adjoining a
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
hinterland – provides a habitat for plants and animals, such as the
Gibraltar candytuft and
Barbary partridge, which are found nowhere else in mainland Europe.
[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, p. 9] For many years, the Upper Rock was reserved exclusively for military use; it was fenced off for military purposes, but was decommissioned and converted into a nature reserve in 1993.
The footpaths link many of the
fortifications of Gibraltar. They were constructed from the 18th century onwards using chisels, hammers and rods to dig through the solid rock, in order to permit cannon, soldiers and supplies to be moved from ground level to gun positions and observation points established in numerous places on the Upper Rock. Most of these supply routes were later widened to permit vehicular traffic. Many of the roads on the Upper Rock have steel rings embedded in the rock alongside the carriageway, which were used as safety brakes for heavy loads such as cannon being pulled up the slope. Some routes were retained as footpaths to enable troop movements to be concealed behind the surrounding shrubbery, and to provide alternative routes to key points if a road was congested with a heavy load.
Several of the paths can be combined into a strenuous circuit of around that takes about four hours to complete, providing broad views of the Gibraltar peninsula, the
Strait of Gibraltar,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
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, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
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, i ...
and the coast of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
.
Devil's Gap Footpath
![Devil's_Gap_Footpath_map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Devil%27s_Gap_Footpath_map.png)
Devil's Gap Footpath links Gibraltar's Upper Town to
Devil's Gap Battery, one of the oldest artillery batteries on the peninsula. It offers views over the city,
Gibraltar Harbour
The Port of Gibraltar, also known as Gibraltar Harbour, is a seaport in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was a strategically important location during the Napoleonic Wars and after 1869 served as a supply point for ships travelling ...
and
Bay of Gibraltar
The Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeciras), is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It is around long by wide, covering an area of some , with a depth of up to in the centre of the bay. It opens to the south into the Strait ...
. It takes its name from the rocky outcrop at the top of the path on which the battery stands, which was called ''Punta del Diablo'' ("Devil's Point") by the Spanish. At above sea level, the outcrop provided a strategic location on the escarpment above the town and therefore commanded a wide range over the Bay of Gibraltar, making it hard for any enemy movements to go unnoticed.
Gibraltar Heritage Trust
The Gibraltar Heritage Trust is a non-profit charity established by statute on 1 May 1989 to preserve and promote the cultural natural heritage of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
Funding and responsibilities
The Trust collaborates wit ...
information display panel on site, June 2013
Although difficult to say for sure, it is thought that the path has been in existence since at least the early 18th century but definitely since the
Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–83). Older maps of the area show paths leading from the town to the
Upper Rock but none seem to follow the current route.
Luis Bravo de Acuña's 1627 "
Plan of Gibraltar" shows that the eastern limits of the town were well below the current level. The natural route from the town to the Upper Rock at the time would have been via
Charles V Wall.
[
The path commences at the eastern boundary of the Upper Town at the junction of Devil's Gap Road with Baca's Passage. It proceeds in a mostly southerly direction before reaching a flight of steps which link it to Green Lane, the road leading to Devil's Gap Battery. Although it was previously overgrown and in a poor condition, it was renovated in 2013 as part of the Upper Rock Management Plan to make it more accessible,] in a similar way to the refurbishment previously carried out at Mediterranean Steps. As part of the refurbishment works, the path was widened by pruning overgrown trees and shrubs and the drains were unclogged to prevent the path from puddling after rains. Information display panels carrying historical information about the path and on the wildlife that can be found there, together with a picnic table and waste bins designed to keep out Gibraltar's Barbary macaques were also added along the path. The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society
The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (''GONHS''), founded in 1976, is a non-governmental, membership-based organisation committed to research into and conservation of nature in Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar, region of the ...
and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust
The Gibraltar Heritage Trust is a non-profit charity established by statute on 1 May 1989 to preserve and promote the cultural natural heritage of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
Funding and responsibilities
The Trust collaborates wit ...
oversaw it to ensure the work was carried out in a sensitive manner.[
]
Douglas Path
Douglas Path is a path that connects a series of military installations at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It leads from the top of Charles V Wall to Mount Misery, one of the peaks of the Rock, before proceeding southwards to end at Douglas Cave. The first section of the path climbs a steep set of steps before running along a knife-edge ridge. It has views over both sides of the Rock of Gibraltar. The sheer east face of the Rock and the Great Gibraltar Sand Dune, which covers a large part of the eastern slope, can readily be seen. The vista provides sweeping views over the Bay of Gibraltar to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The path was cut by convict labour to facilitate troop movements on the Upper Rock.
Shortly after setting off from the north end of the path, an old circular stone building is reached. Its construction has traditionally been attributed to the period of the Moorish occupation of Gibraltar (between 711 and 1462). In fact, it is much more likely to be an early British structure which appears to have been built using stone recycled from an earlier building. It is nonetheless one of the oldest surviving structures at the top of the Rock. A short distance past the old observation post is a World War II structure, the Fortress Commander's Command Post. The path then descends to meet O'Hara's Road, which leads to O'Hara's Battery.
Inglis Way
Inglis Way is a footpath with a length of around that traverses the middle section of the Upper Rock, linking various disused observation posts and emplacements. The origins of its name are uncertain; it may have been named after a person named Inglis, or it may have derived from an old Spanish name, ''el Camino del ingles'', "the Englishman's Path".[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, p. 22] It is the second longest path in the nature reserve after the Mediterranean Steps.
The path, which takes about two hours to walk, starts at Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate is a street in South Kensington, London, England. It runs south from Kensington Gardens' Queen's Gate (the edge of which gardens are here followed by Kensington Road) to Old Brompton Road, intersecting Cromwell Road.
The street ...
in the Charles V Wall[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, p. 20] – one of Gibraltar's oldest surviving fortifications, constructed in 1540. After proceeding through a breach in the Moorish Wall, the main section of the path passes under the cables of the Gibraltar Cable Car
Gibraltar Cable Car ( es, Teleférico de Gibraltar) is an aerial tramway in Gibraltar. The base station of the cable car is located near the southern end of Main Street, next to Alameda Gardens.
History
The Gibraltar Cable Car was built in 1 ...
before passing a series of abandoned World War II observation posts and searchlight emplacements. A section of the path that proceeds through a firebreak
A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...
at Bruce's Farm has views over the northern end of Gibraltar and across the Bay towards Algeciras
Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...
.
The area of the Rock through which the path passes is one of the richest in Gibraltar for flora and fauna.
The start of the path is relatively sparsely vegetated and includes species such as White Asparagus, Common Asphodel, Germander and Esparto Grass. Its later sections proceed through dense vegetation that is typical of Mediterranean maquis shrubland – a widespread biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
in southern Europe that consists of densely growing evergreen shrubs adapted to resist droughts. The trees along the path are predominantly olives. These have all grown since the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–83) when the Upper Rock's original woodland was felled by the British garrison to serve as fuel. It is thought that the present arboreal flora of Gibraltar is the result of seeds being brought onto the Rock by birds. The maquis flora includes dense knots of creepers such as smilax, December clematis, pipe fine and black bryony, while fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s such as southern polypody and the rusty-back fern exploit the shade provided by the canopy. Many species of aromatic herbs and flowers also grow alongside the path, including purple Jerusalem sage and bee orchids. The fauna includes various species of birds that are adapted to life in the maquis, including the Sardinian warbler
The Sardinian warbler (''Curruca melanocephala'') is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most ''Curruca'' species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underpart ...
, wren and woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus ''Scolopax''. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders. The English name ...
. Barbary partridges can be seen in the more open areas adjoining the path. Europe's largest lizard, the ocellated lizard
The ocellated lizard or jewelled lizard (''Timon lepidus'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae (wall lizards). The species is endemic to southwestern Europe.
Common names
Additional common names for ''T. lepidus'' include eyed liza ...
, also lives in the vicinity, along with Iberian wall lizard, Algerian sand racer and Moorish gecko.[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, p. 21]
Mediterranean Steps
The Mediterranean Steps are one of Gibraltar's more strenuous paths, descending from O'Hara's Battery near the Rock's summit to Jews' Gate at the southern foot of the Rock. They consist of a rock-cut staircase "which winds and bends and twists around precipice after precipice, and from point to point, with the Rock above and the blue expanse of the Mediterranean below." They were constructed as part of the military communications system built by the British to allow access to their various installations at the southern end of the Rock.
Royal Anglian Way
Royal Anglian Way is a path that begins near Apes' Den, where there is a feeding station for the Barbary macaques in Gibraltar
Originally from the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population on the European continent. Although most Barbary monkey populations in Africa are experiencin ...
, and runs a distance of to a point near St. Michael's Cave. The feeding of the "apes" takes place twice a day in the early morning and late evening. They live in a number of troops with defined territories on the Rock; the Anglian Way Macaque Group has its feeding area at Apes' Den and the entirety of the path is within the troop's territory.[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, p. 18] The macaques can be observed from the path dwelling in their natural habitat, away from the tourists who gather at Apes' Den to see the feedings.
Much of the path was already in existence in the early 20th century to provide access to a number of gun batteries and other military installations. It takes its name from the Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...
of the British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, whose 2nd Battalion refurbished the path in 1968–69 and still maintains it with help from the Gibraltar Regiment
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...
. From its western starting point at Old Queen's Road, at a height of above sea level, Royal Anglian Way runs along the western slope of the Rock past a number of abandoned military installations. It first passes Hayne's Cave Battery, a gun position established in 1797. One of the artillery pieces installed there in the 20th century is still present. Several former military support buildings are located further along the path, including kitchens with elongated ceramic chimneys. A little further along is Rooke Battery
Rooke Battery is a now derelict artillery battery on the west side of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
Description
The derelict battery can now be found on the Royal Anglian Way which is named after the 2nd Battalion of the Royal ...
, built in 1907 and last used during World War II to mount a searchlight for illuminating the bay and to house the Fire Command Headquarters. The remains of the searchlight mounting can still be seen.
The area around the path has been heavily shaped by human activity, leading to its colonisation by nitrophilous plants which benefit from nitrate-rich environments created by human interference. Flora and fauna that can be seen along the path include esparto grass
Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spart ...
, wild gladiolus, toothed lavender, rough bugloss and felty and shrubby germander, which grow in the area. Barbary partridge, northern raven and common kestrel
The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where n ...
s nest near the path.[Guide to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, pp. 16–17] A less welcome presence is that of a number of feral goats which have caused serious damage to the vegetation, although eradication efforts are being pursued.
On the 21st June 2016 Chief Minister Fabian Picardo opened the Windsor Suspension Bridge along the Royal Anglian Way. The 71 meter long bridge connects an abandoned battery with the Hayne's Cave Battery crossing a 50 meter deep ravine, thus avoiding having to climb down into the gorge and back out again.
References
{{Subject bar, portal1=Gibraltar, portal2=Geography, portal3=Environment
Environment of Gibraltar
Paths of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...