Ragged Staff Cave is a cave bordering the

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

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 ...

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 ...

. The cave was converted into Ragged Staff Magazine in 1901.

Description

The cave was discovered in the 19th century during tunnelling work on 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 ...

. It has less deposits than the higher caves like

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 ...

. In 1901 the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

decided to convert the cave so that it could be used as a magazine and they arranged for the approach to be lined with bricks because the ground was made up of red sand. The magazine took four years to complete. By the start of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

a complex of sixteen magazines was operational, served by two parallel spine tunnels directly linked to

HM Dockyard, Gibraltar Gibdock is a shipyard in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It formerly operated as a Royal Navy Dockyard. Royal Navy Dockyard HM Dockyard, Gibraltar was first developed in the 18th century. After the Capture of Gibraltar, victualling ...

by a long access tunnel. In 1943 the magazine was nearly the site of a major explosion during Gibraltar's part in World War II. José Martín Muñoz a Spaniard working in Gibraltar created an explosion and fire at a fuel tank at

Coaling Island Coaling Island is an area of reclaimed land in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is located at the centre of the western end of Gibraltar Harbour as one of its industrial zones. It also serves to harbour Cormorant Camber which berth ...

on 30 June 1943. He was under suspicion and in August 1943 he was arrested as he attempted to place a bomb inside this fully loaded magazine. Muñoz was

hanged Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging in ...

in January 1944 in Gibraltar by

Albert Pierrepoint Albert Pierrepoint (; 30 March 1905 – 10 July 1992) was an English hangman who executed between 435 and 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956. His father Henry and uncle Thomas were official hangmen before him. Pierrepoint ...

. There is debate but no conclusion over the origin of the name "Ragged Staff" which is associated with the nearby Ragged Staff Gates. One of the possibilities is that it is from the symbols for

Morvidus Morvidus ('' Welsh:'' ''Morydd map Daned'') was a legendary king of the Britons from 341 to 336 BCE., as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the illegitimate son of Danius by his mistress Tangustela.Geoffrey of Monmouth, ''Historia Regum Bri ...

who was a legendary

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation c ...

. He fought and killed a giant using an uprooted tree, hence the symbol of a ragged staff, but there is no consensus. The cave is at sea level and contains submerged passages and

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

lakes.

Gallery

File:Ragged Staff Magazine (2).JPG, Entrance tunnel File:Emergency exit from Ragged Staff Magazine (3).JPG, Internal tunnel File:Ragged Staff Magazine, Gibraltar 5.JPG, One of the magazines File:Ragged Staff Magazine, Gibraltar 3.JPG, Another magazine

References

{{Caves of Gibraltar Caves of Gibraltar

Description

Gallery

See also

References