Gardiner's Battery is an

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 f ...

in the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. It is named after the governor Sir Robert Gardiner.

Description

Gardiner's Battery was part of a second set of retired batteries which were proposed by General Sir John Jones. These "retired" batteries were set away from the shoreline in order that they could get greater range by taking advantage of the increased altitude of the

Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq , meaning "Mountain of Tariq ibn Ziyad, Tariq") is a monolithic limestone mountain high dominating the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated near the end of a nar ...

. In addition the batteries were more difficult for the enemy to spot. Jones also built similar batteries at

Raglan's Battery Raglan's Battery was an artillery battery overlooking Gibraltar Harbour, the harbour in the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. During World War II the Raglan Battery Shelter was here. Description Raglan's Batte ...

and

Jones' Battery Jones' Battery is one of the best preserved of the "retired" artillery battery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was named after Sir John Thomas Jones who once controlled the fortifications here. Description Jones' Battery is c ...

. This high battery fired out west over the top of Victoria Battery which was also a retired battery and both batteries fired out over the top of Saluting Battery that was on the coast. In 1859 the battery had ten guns. At the end of the nineteenth century this battery was using the last generation of muzzle loading guns before breech-loaders became the standard. The battery was named after the governor Sir Robert Gardiner, who was known for his disregard of the local population. These must have been a success as the urge for increased height eventually led to guns being sited on the very top of the rock.

References

Artillery battery fortifications in Gibraltar {{Gibraltar-struct-stub