The battery was built by the British in 1854, and it is connected to the earlier St. Peter & Paul Bastion of the Valletta Land Front.

Under the military theory of the time, the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean was regarded as the most reliable protection against invasion.

Beginning in 1868, the two-storey casemates were converted to barracks, which, as a result, have open galleries facing the parade ground.

In 1884, the battery was armed with seven 64-pound 64-cwt RML guns in the casemates, which were protected by a wall approximately 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) thick.

The powder store, with a capacity of 30,500 pounds (13,800 kg), was protected only by 3 metres (9.8 ft) walls and roof.