The Great Siege
1,270 days that carved the Rock from within
Spain and France besieged Gibraltar for 1,270 days during the American Revolutionary War.
British engineers dug tunnels into the Rock to place cannons against the besiegers.
The garrison held out, and the siege became a defining chapter of British Gibraltar.
The Great Siege of 1779–1783 is one of the longest sieges in modern European history. During the American Revolutionary War, Spain and France tried to recover Gibraltar from British hands, blockading the isthmus and bombarding the town for three and a half years. The garrison, cut off by land and sea, responded by digging galleries directly into the northern face of the Rock to place cannons where the besiegers could not reach. Those tunnels are still there — the moment when Gibraltar's identity as a fortress city became literally written into the stone.
- One of the founding chapters of modern British Gibraltar.
- The origin of the Great Siege Tunnels you can still walk through.
- A turning point that shaped how the Rock is defended and told.
- The Great Siege Tunnels galleries with their embrasures over the isthmus.
- The northern cliff face where you can spot the original gun ports.
- The King's Bastion and old walls around Casemates that survived the bombardment.
Treating the tunnels as just a stop for the view. Read one panel at the entrance first — the story of Sergeant-Major Ince and his miners transforms what you're looking at.
Visit the Great Siege Tunnels late morning, then walk down to the Moorish Castle: you'll cross more than five centuries of defensive history in twenty minutes.
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Frequently asked questions
How long did the Great Siege last?
Three years and seven months, from June 1779 to February 1783 — around 1,270 days.
Why did Spain and France besiege Gibraltar?
They allied with the American colonies against Britain and tried to recover Gibraltar, lost to Britain in 1704 and formalised in 1713.
Who dug the Great Siege Tunnels?
British military engineers led by Sergeant-Major Henry Ince, cutting galleries into the northern face of the Rock to place artillery.
Can you visit the tunnels today?
Yes, the Great Siege Tunnels are part of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve ticket and are one of Gibraltar's most visited sites.