Southport Gates walls restored and area enhanced

As part of an on-going programme of works aimed at restoring Gibraltar's heritage, the Ministry for Heritage has undertaken a complete restoration of Southport Gates. The careful dismantling and rebuilding of sections of the wall was approved by the Heritage and Antiquities Advisory Board and has been led by restorers from the Gibraltar National Museum.

The wall was built and added to by the Moors, the Spanish and the British, and the materials used varies greatly, from rubble, old headstones and even chunks of glass. Over time the crumbling surface of the wall had been patched with different types of rendering, mainly grey cement which is now banned in the conservation of traditional buildings. Traffic pollution had also assisted in the degradation of the construction as had trees taking root in the loose mortar of the walls.

The area around it was also cleaned up after decades of neglect, removing invasive plants and shrubs.