Upon Windmill Hill’s heights a rich history unfolds. This plateau at Gibraltar’s southern end boasts a dramatic story. From its formation millions of years ago to its strategic military role Windmill Hill’s past is fascinating.
Windmill Hill or Windmill Hill Flats is one of two plateaus. They’re called the Southern Plateaux. It’s located south of the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock descends steeply to the plateau. Windmill Hill slopes gently south. Its height varies from 120 meters to 90 meters. It covers about 19 hectares. About 6 hectares are built on. The plateau is surrounded by cliffs. These cliffs descend to Europa Flats another plateau. Both plateaus were formed by marine erosion during the Quaternary period. They were then uplifted tectonically. Windmill Hill was once on the shoreline. Waves carved its cliffs. The land rose and the shoreline moved further out.
Military use shaped Windmill Hill significantly. It was fortified in the 1770s. This was part of improvements by Colonel William Green before the Great Siege. John Drinkwater a soldier during the siege wrote about it. He called it formidable and important. A series of batteries were constructed in the 19th century. These supported Europa Flats defenses. They also could fire on attackers landing in the area. Buffadero Edward VII Jews’ Cemetery Levant and Windmill Hill Batteries were among them. The plateau’s flat terrain was ideal for mobile guns. Retrenched Barracks at the plateau’s head provided accommodation. It served as a small fortress. It could block enemy access to the Rock’s heights.
Lathbury Barracks built in the early 1960s stood here. The British Army used them until 1991. Now they belong to the Gibraltar Government. A NATO communications center was built in the 1970s. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s Buffadero Training Centre is nearby. British Army units use it. They practice fighting in built-up areas FIBUA in a mock village. The terrain resembles Afghanistan. This helps prepare troops for deployment there.
Civilian life also unfolded on Windmill Hill. In the late 18th century ruins of Moorish buildings were visible. These were at least 350 years old. Gibraltar’s Jewish community established a cemetery here. It’s known as Jews’ Gate Cemetery. In 2010 HM Prison Windmill Hill was established. A civil prison had been proposed as early as 1854. Prisoners were held in the Moorish Castle before then. This was deemed defective. A military prison the Detention Barracks was here until 1962. A traveller Reginald Fowler called it clean well-arranged and strictly disciplined. There were also plans for a power station. These were abandoned in 2012 due to wildlife concerns.
Windmill Hill is a significant wildlife habitat. It’s a Site of Community Importance SCI. The soil is thin and rocky. It supports a wide variety of plants and animals. Some are unique to Gibraltar. Migrating birds use it as a rest stop on trans-Saharan journeys. The Barbary partridge Gibraltar’s national bird nests here. It is a waypoint for songbirds. Bats also hunt here.
Beneath the hill lie caves. The Genista Caves were discovered in the 1860s. Work on enlarging the military prison revealed them. Captain Frederick Brome explored them using convict labor. Bones of extinct animals lynx leopard hyena rhinoceros and aurochs were found. They fell through fissures and died. The cave entrance was later lost. A magazine was built above it. Windmill Hill. A place of history nature and enduring significance.