Sep 03 - Heritage Trust Concerned About North Gorge Eco Development
The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has added its voice to concerns regarding the future development of the North Gorge site. The Trust says it supports the recent concerns expressed by GONHS in relation to the preservation of the biodiversity and natural environment of this site and stresses that, in addition to the need to preserve and protect the natural heritage of this area, which is geologically unique, there are a “number of heritage features within the site which are of significance.
"The Trust mentions two features: Judge’s Cave, a Neolithic shelter, which is protected under the Gibraltar Heritage Trust Act, and the Victorian Cold Stores that supplied the Garrison. These stores, converted from a magazine, consist of large vaulted chambers which are stacked four stories below the ground.
More research is required, says the Trust, to ascertain the history of these stores and whether these are the first of their kind built for Britain or perhaps even the last relatively well preserved facility in the world. The Trust notes that these stores were linked by tunnel to the Victualling Yard and are in a state of dilapidation, although many of the fixtures and fittings (cooling racks, machinery, doors, etc.) are still intact.
There are also, in addition to these, two brick ventilation shafts from the stores and two Anderson Shelters dating from WWII which are, according to the Trust, “relatively well preserved.”
A statement from the Trust concluded: “This asset has been lying dormant for decades and is worthy of further study and survey of our built and natural environment to ensure that all factors have been considered and redlines drawn before the site is put out for development.”
