Victorian era dressed copping stones have been relocated by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust from the former Toc H site to Witham’s Cemetery.

A statement from the Gibraltar Heritage Trust follows below:

It’s been a busy and rewarding period over the last few months at the ongoing project to restore Witham’s Cemetery.

This historic cemetery, tucked behind Jumper’s Building, dates from the mid-18th Century and contains the remains of over 200 individuals. The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has been working to recover the site from dilapidation since 2016, with the main cemetery being opened once again as a place of peace and public passageway in the summer of 2022. The majority of the works have been carried out by regular volunteers who continue with their weekly attendance to maintain and further improve the site. 

The latest addition arrived just before the summer when the Trust took delivery of 6.5metres of dressed stone that was due for the rubble tip. The stones which likely date from the Victorian alterations to the line wall came from within the Harrison Boutique Hotel development, the site of the ex- Toc H on Line Wall Road. Even though this development has retained and made use of many architectural and historic features within the site, they had no need for the run of dressed copping stones. Unfortunately, Gibraltar does not have a dedicated heritage store or yard for the salvage or restoration of architectural elements, meaning that many such opportunities are not taken advantage of. The Heritage Trust was approached and it was felt that, although ‘just’ pieces of stone they are valuable authentic elements of our architectural heritage that could be reused rather than tipped.

The stones were transported to Witham’s Cemetery where they now form part of the border to the main path. We are grateful to the support of the contractor Electricon for delivery and to Anglo Hispano who diverted the use of one of their forklifts and pallet trolleys to assist. It was not an easy job due to incline of the site and the weight of each stone being around 200kgs! Our volunteers have done it again!

The Cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset offering a quiet oasis away from the hustle and bustle. The Trust occasionally runs historic tours of the site. Keep an eye on our website for updates. If you would like to contribute to the work of the Trust and help us in our aims to protect our heritage, you can donate via our website www.gibraltarheritagetrust.org.gi