Poca Roca Cave

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Poca Roca Cave
Gibraltar

Poca Roca (by Cooper Willyams, 1782)
Co-ordinates: 36°8’30"N, 5°20’47"W
Geology: Limestone

Poca Roca Cave is a cave in Gibraltar, under the Middle Hill on the Upper Rock, at the site of an Isolation Hospital by Governor's Lookout.[1]

The Poca Roca Cave fissure runs through the Rock of Gibraltar in a general west–east direction from Bell Lane in the old town area to Catalan Bay on the coast.<

History

During the three-and-a-half-year-long Great Siege of Gibraltar the population of the Rock made use of the caves to shelter from the bombardment. Beefsteak Cave was used by Gibraltarians whilst Poca Roca cave was prepared in August 1779 for use as apartments by General George Augustus Elliot (afterwards Lord Heathfield of Gibraltar[1] the Governor of Gibraltar.[2] This cave was later used as a storage area for gunpowder (to serve the artillery batteries on the heights[1]) after the siege had been abandoned in 1783.[2] Nearby batteries are Green's Lodge Battery and Middle Hill Battery.

In the 1860s, Captain Fred Brome, the governor of Gibraltar's prison, sought permission from the Governor of Gibraltar to explore Martin's Cave, as well as St Michael's Cave, Fig Tree Cave and this cave, with the objective of finding archaeological evidence of the past use of the caves. The Governor agreed and a ten-member team of prisoners began the explorations. Martin's Cave was the first to be explored.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The Gibraltar Tunnels" by Tito Vallejo
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Drinkwater, John (1786). "2". History of the Late Siege of Gibraltar. London: Spillbury. p. 356. http://www.dotcom.gi/siege/chapter02.htm. Retrieved 9 January 2013. "previous to the bombardment, for the Governor's reception; but was afterwards converted into a powder magazine, being very convenient for the batteries on the heights." 
  3. ↑ International Congress of Prehistoric Archaeology (1869). Transactions of the third session which opened at Norwich on the 20th August and closed in London on the 28th August 1868. London: Longmans, Green, and co.. pp. 113, 134, 136-. https://books.google.com/books?id=s-RoAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA113. Retrieved 3 January 2013. 


Caves of Gibraltar

Abbot's • Alameda Grotto • Ape's Den • Beefsteak • Bell's Backyard • Bellman's • Bennet's • Blackstrap • Boathoist / Bulman's • Bray's • Brown's • Buena Vista • Buffadero • Caleta Palace • Camp Bay • Catalan Bay Road • Catalan Bay • Catchment • Cave S • Collin's • Comcen • Coptic • Cormorant • Cousin's • Crystal • Crystal Cavern • Cumberland • Dead Man's • Devil's Dustbin • Devil's Fall • Devil's Gap • Devil's Tower • Diesel's Delight • Douglas • Dudley Ward's • E Queen's Line • Europa Advance • Europa Pass • Fig Tree • Forbe's Quarry • Genista Caves • George's Bottom • Gibbon's • Glen Rocky, Shelter • Goat's Hair • Goat's Head • Gorham's • Gunn's • Harley Street • Hayne's • Holy Boy's • Horseshoe • Ince's • John's Giant • Judge's • Landport • Leonora's • Levant • Liddell's Union • Lookout • Mammoth • Marble Arch • Martin's • Martin's Guard • McNeil's • Mediterranean • Middle Hill • Monkey's • Moorish Castle Barracks • Moor's • Mount Misery • Mousterian Rock Shelter • Mushroom • Nameless • Nursery • O'Hara's • Operation Monkey • Painter's • Parson's Lodge • Pete's Paradise • Poca Roca • Queen's • Queen's Lines • Ragged Staff • Reservoir 4, & 5 • Reservoir Fissure • Rifle Dustbin • Rock Fall • Rock Gun • Rock Gun Catchment Shelter • Ronald's Delight • St Michael's, Old, New, Lower, Roof Passage • Sandy: Lower, Upper • Sapper's Bog Scorpion • Sea Caves • Shed • Signal Troop • Smart's Well Reserve • Smith’s • Smuggler's • South • Spanish Mine • Spider • Spur Road • Star Chamber • Swallow's Nest • Tina's • Transmitter • Upper All's Well • Vanguard • Viney Quarry • William's • Willis • Wilson's • Winkies

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