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| Devil's Gap Footpath | |
|---|---|
 Start of Devil's Gap Footpath looking south as refurbished in 2013 | |
| Location | Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Gibraltar |
| Designation | Nature Trail |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | Green Lane, 130 m (430 ft) |
| Lowest point | Devil's Gap Road |
| Season | All year |
| Sights | Devil's Gap Road, Devil's Gap Battery and views over the city, Gibraltar Harbour and Bay of Gibraltar |
| Surface | Natural and gravel |
Devil's Gap Footpath is a path and nature trail in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The path is located entirely within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. It links the Upper Town at Devil's Gap Road to the to the nature reserve at Green Lane just south of Devil's Gap Battery. The path offers views over the city, Gibraltar Harbour and Bay of Gibraltar.
History
Although difficult to say for sure, it is thought that the path has been in existence since at least the 18th century but definitely since the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-83). Older maps of the area show paths leading from the town to the Upper Rock but none seem to follow the current route. Luis Bravo de Acuña's 1627 "Plan of Gibraltar" shows that the eastern limits of the town were well below the current level. The natural route from the town to the Upper Rock at the time would have been via Charles V Wall.
At 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level, the Spanish called the rocky outcrop, where Devil's Gap Battery was later built at the top of this path, "Punta del Diablo" (Template:Lang-es). The name is believed to have been coined due to the battery's strategic location on the escarpment above the town and therefore commanding a wide range over the Bay of Gibraltar making it hard for any enemy movements to go unnoticed.
Captain John Spilsbury, who was in Gibraltar between 1776-83, noted in his journal of the Great Siege on 5 August 1779:
"People employed in making an encamp ground for about 600 men just above Devil’s Gap where a mortar is planted"
Route
The Devil's Gap Path commences at the eastern boundary of the Upper Town at the junction of Devil's Gap Road with Baca's Passage. It proceeds in a mostly southerly direction until it reaches a viewing point where a flight of steps link it to Green Lane just south of Devil's Gap Battery in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
Refurbishment
The Devil's Gap Footpath was refurbished in 2013 as part of the Upper Rock Management Plan to make the path more accessible, in a similar way to the refurbishment previously carried out at Mediterranean Steps. Improvements included the widening of the path, clearing of shrubbery, drains cleared to enable water to divert off the rock rather than collect in a puddle, the addition of information display panels describing the flora and fauna in the area as well as historical facts, Barbary macaque-proof bins and a picnic table. The project was announced by Minister for Health and the Environment Dr. John Cortes and led by Carl Viagas with the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust overseeing it to ensure the project was carried out in a sensitive manner. Koala Construction were the hired contractors for the project.
References
- ^ Gibraltar Heritage Trust information display panel on site
- 1627 "Plan of Gibraltar" by Luis Bravo de Acuña
- Google Maps
- ^ "Upper Rock pathway renovations almost complete". Your Gibraltar TV. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- "Full text of Minister Costa's budget speech". Your Gibraltar TV. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- "Reformed path for Devil's Gap". Gibraltar Chronicle. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- "Devil's Gap". Koala Construction. Retrieved 8 July 2013.