Great Siege Tunnels
The original defensive tunnels, cut with sledgehammers and gunpowder between 1782 and 1783 so that guns could be sited on the Rock's sheer northern face.
The Great Siege lasted three years and seven months. Unable to get guns onto the north face any other way, a working party under Sergeant-Major Ince drove a tunnel into the limestone and cut embrasures out through the cliff — the ports are still there, still aimed at Spain.
Displays inside are dated in the best way: mannequins,period tools, and the sound of hammering. What lands is the arithmetic — thirteen men, hand tools, and a rock that took them eighteen inches a day.
Our tip
The tunnels are cool and the floor is uneven. This is the stop where a phone torch is genuinely useful.
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