The incredible Victoria Lines are one step closer to being restored to their former glory
The Victoria Lines are set to receive some TLC with a new project that has entered its second stage after the restoration of a stretch of the lines running along Gnien l-Gharusa tal-Mosta was completed. Now, the restoration works will continue with that of the fortified walls in Gharghur, in the popular area known as Top of the World.
The Victoria Lines
The Victoria Lines were built by the British in the 19th century and named after the Queen at the time, Queen Victoria. The lines are a complex network of linear fortifications spanning 12km from Madliena to Fomm ir-Rih.
It was originally known as the North West Front and the Great Fault and dubbed as the Great Wall of Malta, which divided the north of the island from the more heavily populated south. The British used the fortifications to defend the island from invading forces landing in the north.
In 1900, military training exercises revealed that the Victoria Lines were of dubious defensive value. With the exception of the coastal forts that ran along the lines, the area was abandoned. In 1998, the Victoria Lines were submitted for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nowadays, large parts of the fortification walls have collapsed, although some parts in the countryside remain intact.
The restoration works
Over the past months, emergency repairs were conducted on two small stretches along the Victoria Lines at Bingemma, parts of which had either collapsed or were at risk of doing so.
The works will hopefully address the critical parts of the lines such as unstable areas, while also reinstating defined lacunas, dismantling visually intrusive repairs and also reconstructing parts of the Victoria Lines.
Where feasible, stone blocks that formed part of the original setup shall be used throughout the reinstatement and reconstruction interventions. This will be done in places like Mosta and Gharghur where stone blocks will be collected that have collapsed through the years.