The path passes along open ground above the southern plateau with excellent views across the strait to Africa.

The now derelict Levant Battery is a feature at this point. The battery was part of the Windmill Hill batteries. Extreme care should be taken if you intend to explore the battery by leaving the Mediterranean Steps path and climbing down.

Named because it was sited below the Levanter cloud, thus having a clear field of view when the higher batteries on the ridge were obscured. Designed as a single gun battery, it was begun in April 190 I and by August 1903 it mounted one 9.2 inch BL Mk. X gun on a Mk V mounting. In the photograph below the battery is located in the lower circle, approximately 100 metres above can be seen observation posts known as Fire Control South (middle circle), the top circle indicates the position of Spur 9.2 inch Gun Battery. Fire Control South would have provided range and target information for these batteries and others on the upper ridge during occasions when the top of the Rock was covered by the famous Levanter cloud.

Click here for 360 panorama at Fire Control South

The photographs above and below were taken after the gun was decommissioned in the late 1970’s, the gun was later removed for scrap.

The photograph below show the current condition of the battery.

When the armament was approved in 1901 there was provision for two guns, the present one to bear on Mediterranean waters and a Mark X with a range of 14,000 yards to bear on land batteries in Spain.

On 31 December 1915 the gun fired two rounds at an enemy submarine, there is no further information about the success or failure of this action.

On 23 March 1934, during practice fIring, a shell burst in the bore and a new barrel was installed on 20 April 1934.

The magazine and various rooms are in poor condition with signs of vandalism and decay

The upper and lower sections of the shell hoist can be seen in the two photographs above and below.

The photograph to the left shows the wooden benches and partition where the gun crew would change clothes and footwear before entering the magazine.

Gun Technical Data:

CALIBRE AND MK OF GUN 9.2 ins MK 10
WEIGHT OF GUN AND MOUNTING 204 TONS

WEIGHT OF SHELL 380 LBS
WEIGHT OF CHARGE 109 LBS
WEIGHT OF BARREL 28 TONS
RANGE OF GUN 29,600 YDS
DISTANCE ACROSS STRAIT 25,500 YDS
DISTANCE ACROSS BAY 9000 YDS

MUZZLE VELOCITY 2,700 FT/SECOND
RATE OF FIRE 2 TO 3 ROUNDS PER MINUTE