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Then vs. Now! Check out these two comparison photos of the Victoria Lines at Bingemma Gap
One photo dates back to 1899 and the other is from 2020.

Lyndsey Grima

The fortified masonry bridge at Bingemma Gap, a prominent segment of the Victoria Lines, stands as a reminder of Malta's rich military history. This section, often photographed, links the infantry wall from Fort Bingemma to the Dwejra Lines on the opposite side of the valley.

Two photographs, featured on the Facebook page, Friends of The Victoria Lines Trail, one from around 1899 and another from May 2020, capture the evolution of this historic site.

The Victoria Lines at Bingemma Gap (Then and Now) The fortified masonry bridge (stopwall) at Bingemma Gap is by far the...

Posted by Friends of The Victoria Lines Trail on Saturday, June 22, 2024

In the 1899 photograph, the infantry wall is shown complete with loopholes, used by defending soldiers to fire their rifles. Over time, these loopholes have disappeared from the infantry wall, though they remain on the masonry bridge.

The exact timeline of their removal is uncertain, but it likely began shortly after the Victoria Lines lost their strategic importance, which occurred even before World War One. The slabs forming the loopholes were easily removed and repurposed elsewhere. Other sections of the Victoria Lines with similar infantry walls, such as those at Fomm ir-Rih, Ta' Falka, and Targa Gap, suffered the same fate.

In 1995, a survey of the Victoria Lines conducted as part of the Medurbs project revealed that the only surviving rifle loopholes were within a three-meter stretch of the infantry wall near Fort Mosta, except for those at Bingemma Gap and Wied il-Faham.

The black-and-white photo, taken by Richard Ellis circa 1899, shows British Army soldiers during manoeuvres along the Victoria Lines at Bingemma Gap.

The color photo, taken by Maggie May in May 2020, provides a contemporary view of the site and of the Victoria Lines as we know it today.

Have you ever visited the Victoria Lines before?

26th June 2024


Lyndsey Grima
Written by
Lyndsey Grima
Lyndsey has always been passionate about all things content. She keeps her storytelling skills sharp by exercising physically as she’s a fitness buff and also mentally as she enjoys reading and travelling.

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