Jones' Battery

Jones' Battery
Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Jones' Battery
Coordinates	36°08′36″N 5°21′00″W / 36.1433°N 5.350°W
Type	Artillery Battery
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Site history
Built by	General Sir John Jones

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.^[1]

Description

Jones' Battery is close to the Moorish Castle. It was one of the first set of retired batteries which were proposed by General Sir John Jones. Jones was an important fortifications expert well respected by military engineers. These "retired" batteries were the first to be set away from the shoreline in order that they could get increased range by taking advantage of the steep slopes of the Rock of Gibraltar. In addition the batteries location was less obvious to the enemy. Jones also built similar batteries at the Civil Hospital and at Raglan's Battery overlooking the harbour.^[2] In 1859 this battery had eleven guns.^[3]

The battery was reportedly well preserved in 2006 as it still had the main wall, expense magazines, parapet and embrasures could be seen just off a road to the Moorish Castle Estate.^[4]

Jones' idea eventually led to guns being sighted on the very top of the rock.^[2]

References

1. Jones, John Thomas (1827). Journals of Sieges Carried on by the Army Under the Duke of Wellington, in Spain, Between the Years 1811 and 1814: With Notes. T. Egerton. p. 476. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
2. Fa & Finlayson (2006). The Fortifications of Gibraltar 1068-1945. Osprey Publishing. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-1-84603-016-1. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
3. "1859 Map of the Fortifications of Gibraltar". UK National Archives MPH 1/23. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
4. Fa & Finlayson (2006). The Fortifications of Gibraltar 1068-1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-84603-016-1. Retrieved 1 April 2013.