This was one of the four Retired Batteries built after the Jones Report of 1841. It stood on the site of the Spanish hospital of San Juan de Dios. This was later converted into a barracks known as Blue Barracks and it was from the ruin of this building that the Civil Hospital was built in 1816.

The Civil Hospital Battery was built in the 1840’s as one of three retired batteries - Jones ' and Raglan’s being the other two, as recommended by General Jones. This battery position, its sliding traversing carriages and their increased height on the slopes of Gibraltar gave the gunners increased visibility and range. At the same time, its retired location within the town would make this battery much harder for enemy ships to target.

The Lefroy / Owen Report of 1859 revealed that the terrace, upon which the battery had been built, was supported by an unsound revetment wall. This wall had failed despite the removal of the guns and reconstruction of the wall was ordered by the Governor.

The original armament were 32-pdrs which in 1856 were supposed to be changed to 68-pdrs, but by 1859 this change had still not taken place probably as a result of the wall reconstruction. By 1863, however, there were five 68-pdrs placed there but that same year the new 7-inch RBL guns arrived in Gibraltar and four of these were placed at this battery to replace the 68-pdrs.

The RBLs had been withdrawn by 1885 when the armament was two 64-pounder RMLs on dwarf traversing carriages. By 1889, all armament had been removed.

The Civil Hospital later became St. Bernard’s Hospital and an extension was built on top of most of this battery which was removed once the hospital transferred to a new building in Europort.  Only one traversing carriage has survived as it was located to the rear of the hospital extension.

Site of Civil Hospital Battery showing location of the four traversing carriages, only the one on the left has survived.