Footpaths of Gibraltar
The footpaths of Gibraltar 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.
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 130 metres (430 ft) 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.
Older maps of the area show paths leading from the town to the Upper Rock but none seem to follow the current route.
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.
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 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.
[14] Inglis Way is a footpath with a length of around 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) that traverses the middle section of the Upper Rock,[16] linking various disused observation posts and emplacements.
[16] The path, which takes about two hours to walk, starts at Queen's Gate in the Charles V Wall[19] – one of Gibraltar's oldest surviving fortifications, constructed in 1540.
[22] The start of the path is relatively sparsely vegetated and includes species such as White Asparagus, Common Asphodel, Germander and Esparto Grass.
[18] 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.
Many species of aromatic herbs and flowers also grow alongside the path, including purple Jerusalem sage and bee orchids.
[26] Royal Anglian Way is a path that begins near Apes' Den, where there is a feeding station for the Barbary macaques in Gibraltar, and runs a distance of 600 metres (2,000 ft) to a point near St. Michael's Cave.
A little further along is Rooke Battery, 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.
[29] Flora and fauna that can be seen along the path include esparto grass, wild gladiolus, toothed lavender, rough bugloss and felty and shrubby germander, which grow in the area.
