Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar

Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar
Línea de Contravalación de Gibraltar
Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar
La Línea de la Concepción, San Roque, Spain
Spanish Lines at the time of the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779–83)
Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar
Coordinates	36°09′37″N 5°20′44″W / 36.160148°N 5.345666°W / 36.160148; -5.345666
Type	Forts and defensive wall
Site information
Owner	Ayuntamiento of La Línea de la Concepción
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Fragmentary ruins
Site history
Built	1730
Built by	Marquis of Verboom
Materials	Stone
Demolished	14 February 1810
Battles/wars	Great Siege of Gibraltar

The Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar (Spanish: Línea de Contravalación de Gibraltar or Línea de Gibraltar), known in English as the "Spanish Lines", were a set of fortifications built by the Spanish across the northern part of the isthmus linking Spain with Gibraltar. They later gave their name to the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción. The Lines were constructed after 1730 to establish a defensive barrier across the peninsula, with the aim of preventing any British incursions, and to serve as a base for fresh Spanish attempts to retake Gibraltar. They played an important role in the Great Siege of Gibraltar between 1779 and 1783 when they supported the unsuccessful French and Spanish assault on the British-held fortress.The siege was ended after the lines of contravallation were attacked by British and Dutch forces under the command of the Governor of Gibraltar,General Augustus Eliot.The attack caused the Spanish forces to retreat and abandon the fortifications and the combined British led forces virtually destroyed all the spanish gun batteries and the enemy cannon and munitions either captured or destroyed.This attack is still commemorated to this day and is known as 'Sortie Day'.

Only 25 years later they were effectively abandoned by the Spanish as the Peninsular War recast France as Spain's enemy and Britain as its ally. Stripped of guns, stores and garrison, which were sent elsewhere to bolster Spanish resistance against French forces, the Lines were demolished by the British in February 1810 with the permission of the Spanish as a French army approached. Although Napoleon had no intention of attacking Gibraltar, the British feared that the Lines could be used to support a French siege against the territory. The modern town of La Línea de la Concepción was subsequently established amidst the ruins of the fortifications, of which only a few fragmentary remains can be seen today.

Following the Anglo-Dutch capture of Gibraltar in 1704 and the subsequent Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar, in which the Spanish and their French allies sought unsuccessfully to recover the territory, the Spanish built a permanent line of fortifications facing south across the isthmus. Construction began in November 1730 under the Marquis of Verboom with the intention that the lines would block any British invasion of Spanish territory mounted from Gibraltar, act as a starting point for any future Spanish operations against Gibraltar, and cut off access to the territory by land. The lines covered a distance of 950 toises (1,900 yards (1,700 m)) and were built 1,000 toises (2,000 yards (1,800 m)) from the Rock of Gibraltar, where the British defences began.