LIFE& WELLBEING HISTORY Island of Malta and the Victoria Lines with fortifications and battery sites The Victoria Lines trail RAY CACHIA ZAMMIT The nature of the infantry line • put Malta on the European varies along its length but in most Ramblers' map; places it consists of a sandwich­ • ensure a greater level of pro­ type construction with outer and tection for the cultural heritage The Victoria Lines is a network of inner retaining walls, with rub­ and the landscape surrounding fortifications built by the British ble-fill in between and topped by it from further encroachment Armed Forces durilig the second a capstone. The outer shell was and destruction. lialf of the 19th century consisting finished to a smooth surface to The reasons for seeking to of a number of different elements: make it more difficult for an promote a national trail along the Typical cross section of the infantry wall. (Detail from panel at The Fortress forts, batteries, entrenchments, enemy soldier to scale the wall Victoria Lines are many: Builders Fortificat ion Interpretation Centre, courtesy of Heritage Ma lta) searchlight emplacements and whereas the inner shell was often howitzer positions, and a continu­ left rough. The construction of ous infantry line that connects other parts of the infantry wall in "What defines the landscapes: coastal, rural and defensive system which provides them all together. They were strate­ those areas which were the least urban, and it is surrounded by a the ur:ique character. gically built o~ the edge of the accessible from below, tended to Victoria Lines is multitude of archaeological and This is something that can be Great Fault and span across the be more rudimentary. British Anny soldiers firing through the musketry loopholes of historical sites representative of fully appreciated only if one actu­ whole width of Malta; some 12 In various places, although not the Victoria Lines at Targa Gap- 1899. PHOTO: RICHARD ELLIS, the combination of different historical periods. ally walks along the Victor ia kilometres from Fomm ir-Rib in the throughout its length, the wall was PUBLISHED IN THE NAVY AND ARMY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE The trail would basically follow Lines. Dedicated trekkers and Scarping below tt-e wall in the Bingemma area. (Photo from the information west to Madliena in the east. surmounted by a series of natural features the original military patrol path ramblers already manage to do brochure by the tllen Restoration Unit following restoration works at The defining element musketry loopholes. on land which has remained this despite the many current Bingemma Gap in 2003) within the Victoria These took the form and man-made government property (i.e. it does obstacles but a managed national Lines is the infantry of horizontal slabs not require the requisition of trail would extend this experience wall. This follows placed in such a to p.rovide proper direction and as such, form an intrinsic part of natural la ndscapes, offering structures to private property). to the wider public, both locals the configuration way that a space supervision, machine-cut stones Malta's historical heritage. breathtaking views. create a linear A trail along the Victoria Lines and tourists. of the crest of the was left between were used which contrast with the It has now been many years However, at: the present time, walk­ is already envisaged within the The Victor ia Lines National ridge along the the two slabs original hand-cut stones. How­ that the Victoria Lines have lain ing along various parts of the Victmia defensive barrier relevant Local Plans. Trail would be nothing less than Great Fault but supporting them ever, from a distance, they do pro­ abandoned and time has taken its Lines is quite difficult because of The Rural Policy and Design a pedestrian 'highway' that cuts was generally through which vide an idea of what the original toll. Surprisingly perhaps, quite a overgrown vegetation and other that cuts across Guidelines (MEPA 2014}, under across Malta from coast to coast, built just beneath the soldiers could infantry wall with its loopholes in few stretches are still in good obstacles th at block the original the heading 'Policy 1.21 - Country for the enjoyment of the public, it, to make it less fire their rifles. place looked like. condition but there are also patrol path and some sections are the whole width of Pathways' specifically refer to the and an additional, innovative c;:onspicuous from Unfortunately, The infantry line is at its most places where parts of the wall altogether inaccessible. This is a pity Victoria Lines. tourist attraction. below. The long almost all of these have spectacular where it crosses a num­ have collapsed and there is even a because the potential for a first-rate the island" The Victoria Lines National Trail stretches of infantry wall since disappeared. ber of val!eys. These were bridged tract which has disappeared alto­ managed trail along the Victoria has already been the subject of an Ray Cachia Zammit is co-founder of generally consist of a simple For example, photos taken over by means of so-called stop­ gether, eaten away by a quarry. Lines is indeed substantial. The Victoria Lines National in-depth academic study under the the Fri~nds of the Victoria Lines Trail masonry parapet, with an avera-ge when the Victoria Lines were still walls intended to facilitate access Nevertheless, a walk along those A Victoria Lines National Trail would traverse the whole auspices of the Institute for which aims at increasing awareness height of 1.5 metres. As such, the in use show that the infantry wall by the soldiers defending these parts of the Victoria Lnes th at Trail would: island, from coast to coast, follow­ Tourism, Travel and Culture at the of the Victoria Lines and their poten· defensive wall may appear low in what is now Gnien 1-Gharusa positions from one side of the val­ are accessible is still a most • provide an exceptional path­ ing the contour of the Great Fault, University of Malta. tial to be developed into Malta's fi1·st when viewed from behindbut being tal-Mosta had musketry loop­ ley to the other, and provide them rewarding experience. way that cuts across Malta from one of Malta's most prominent What defines the Victoria Lines national trail. The immediate objec· on high ground, it still overlooks holes. However, only a very short with adequate cover from behind The Victoria Lines provide some coast to coast, from where the geological features. is the combination of natural tive must be to secure unimpeded anyone approaching from below. stretch of the original musketry while they could fire at the enemy. of the best vantage points from public can access and enjoy the The Victoria Lines themselves features and man-made struc­ and safe access along the whole The infantry wall was con- loopholes is still extant, in the The Victoria Lines were neyer where to discover the Maltese Maltese countryside; are an intrinsic part of Malta's his­ tures to create a linear defensive length of tlte Victoria Lines with the , structed primarily using stone vicinity of Fort Mosta. put to the ultimate test of an enemy countryside and have :hemselves • offer a new and innovative torical heritage and are scheduled barrier that cuts across the whole ultimate goal of establishing a prop· quarried on site. Parts of the hill· IIi 1997· a.longer stretch of the invasion and their military signifi- become a striking feam~e within tourism product serving to attract Grade 1 buildings. width of the island. erly managed national trail within side, beneath the lil}es, were dug­ loopholes were reconstructed . cance began to fade even before the landscap~on whic..'l they have a new form of responsible, high­ The trail traverses various The individual components of . the necessary framework to sustain up to make them steeper and, in next to the remaining ones. The World War I. Nevertheless, they at times a most dramaEic effect. A quality tourism; areas of high landscape value and .the Victoria Lines, such as the it on an ongoing basis. some instances, the resulting rub­ intention was good but its execu­ still pro,;ide a very interesting walk along the Victoria Lines is a • constitute Malta's first linear areas of environmental impor­ forts, are interesting in them­ Front view of the wall in the Kunci:z.zjani area as an enemy would see it. ble was dumped in such a way as to tion left much to be desired. In the insight into the development of for­ unique experience whi ch reveals attraction to ·complement the exist­ tance, including Natura 2000 selves, but it is their linkage HTTPS:/IWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ PHcmJ: RAY CACHIA ZAMMtT form an additional obstacle. absence of an adequate structure tifications in the 19th century and, the stunning beauty o:f Malta's ing point and area attractions; sites. It links together a variety of together into one integrated FRIENDSDFTHEVICTORIALINESTRAIL/ .