Middle Hill, Gibraltar
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Middle Hill is a hill in the
British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
of
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 ...
. It is located at the northern end of the
Upper Rock Nature Reserve The Gibraltar Nature Reserve (formerly the Upper Rock Nature Reserve) is a protected nature reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar that covers over 40% of the country's land area. It was established as the Upper Rock Nature Rese ...
. It figured prominently in the early history of the 1704 siege of Gibraltar by the Spanish and
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. The
artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...
at Middle Hill had been constructed by 1727 and was active for more than two centuries. In the mid twentieth century, Middle Hill transitioned to use as an aerial farm for the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
. The radio farm was refurbished in 1958. About 1970, the
Princess Caroline's Battery Princess Caroline's Battery is an artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the northern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, at the junction of Willis's Road and Queen's Road, Gibraltar, Queen's Road. The ...
Group of Barbary macaques were moved to Middle Hill, where they were provisioned at a group of derelict buildings that were part of the battery complex. In 2005, much of Middle Hill was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Government of Gibraltar, and is now managed by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society.


Early history

Middle Hill is in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. The hill is located at the northern end of the
Upper Rock Nature Reserve The Gibraltar Nature Reserve (formerly the Upper Rock Nature Reserve) is a protected nature reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar that covers over 40% of the country's land area. It was established as the Upper Rock Nature Rese ...
. The roads on Middle Hill include Rock Gun Road, Signal Station Road, Middle Hill Road (also known as Middle Hill Nature Trail), and Green's Lodge Road (alternately referred to as Green's Lodge Nature Trail). Following the
capture of Gibraltar The Capture of Gibraltar by Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1 and 4 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Alliance had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Penins ...
in August 1704, another siege was attempted later that year. Approximately 500 Spanish soldiers, led by a goat herder, scaled the
Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabel-al-Tariq) is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and near the entrance to the Mediterr ...
from the south side and made it to
St. Michael's Cave St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over above sea level. According to Alo ...
, where they stayed the first night. The next night, they climbed the
Charles V Wall The Charles V Wall is a 16th-century defensive curtain wall that forms part of the fortifications of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Originally called ''Muralla de San Benito'' (English: St. Benedict's Wall), it was built in 1540 ...
and killed a guard at Middle Hill. The Spaniards then assisted several hundred more Spanish soldiers up the Rock with ropes and ladders. However, they were discovered and many were killed or sent over a precipice, the Wolf's Leap, with the rest taken prisoner. By 1727, Middle Hill Battery had been constructed and a gun had been mounted; the emplacement continued to be used and upgraded for more than two centuries. In October 1779, construction of a road for carriages was begun at Middle Hill. Its purpose initially was to permit the transport of a gun to the planned Rock Gun Battery. However, the battery was completed prior to the road. Later that month, 24-pounder guns were brought to Middle Hill, in preparation for the construction of a new battery below Rock Gun Battery. On the 31 October 1779, the new battery was completed and was named the
Royal Battery Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
.


Recent history

In the 1950s, Middle Hill served as an aerial farm for the Ministry of Defence. In 1958, the radio farm was refurbished by the Radio Engineering Unit of RAF Henlow, and multiple buildings were constructed. On 15 December 1969, Corporal Dennis Bowes, an aerial erector at RAF Gibraltar, died in a rock fall while working at the aerial farm on Middle Hill. For a century, there were two primary groups of Barbary macaques in Gibraltar. One was established at Apes' Den, previously known as Queen's Gate, and the other at Princess Caroline's Battery. By 1946, both populations were fed by the
Garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
. About 1970, the Princess Caroline's Battery Group moved to Middle Hill. However, illegal provisioning resulted in splitting of the Apes' Den population, such that by 2004, there were six groups in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. In Gibraltar, Middle Hill Group has at least two different meanings. In one case, it refers to the apes who are provisioned at a group of derelict buildings just southeast of Middle Hill Battery. In the other instance, it is a reference to a group of buildings which perches on the cliff, just east of the battery. Numerous military buildings are now scattered across Middle Hill. For decades, Middle Hill was a Ministry of Defence site, where members of the public were excluded and unauthorised entry was considered a criminal offence. In an agreement signed on 20 April 2004, much of the land at Middle Hill was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Government of Gibraltar in April 2005. Accordingly, Ministry of Defence personnel left Middle Hill and most of their equipment was removed. As the MOD no longer owned the site, their management of it, including maintenance, concluded. Despite the transfer of the property to the government, it was a year and a half before the Government of Gibraltar assumed responsibility for Middle Hill. During that time, there was extensive vandalism. In addition, public safety became an issue, as a number of areas on the site were dangerous. The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, which now manages the area, put forth an Upper Rock Management Plan, in which the organisation included recommendations for Middle Hill. The proposal for Middle Hill included the recommendation that it be named a
biological reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
with access to the public only on a prearranged basis.


References


External links

{{Commons category, Middle Hill, Gibraltar
Google map of Middle Hill
Landforms of Gibraltar Military history of Gibraltar