Part of the Victoria Lines to be restored

Ġnien l-Għarusa – a large recreational area in Mosta – will undergo extensive upgrading works following the Planning Commission’s consent for the project to go ahead, the Planning Authority said yesterday.

The garden located in Triq Misraħ Għonoq abuts part of the Victoria Lines and the former WW2 Civil Defence Headquarters, with its underground shelters – all structures are scheduled as Grade 1 buildings.

“Valuable restoration works will be carried out on those parts of the Victoria Lines which run through the garden’s perimeter and are damaged. Fortunately, in places where the walls have collapsed, the original material is still found on site. Some other areas are distorted from non- matching stones built with a different technique to the original style. Here, the wall will need to be rebuilt using the same materials, size of masonry and techniques as in the original parts of the Victoria Lines. This will ensure that the uniformity of the Lines is respected. Graffiti sprayed on the outer facade of the fortifications will also be removed.”

The works on the 23,700-squaremetre garden will also include the rehabilitation of the existing passageway and the installation of new benches and lighting. A gazebo and a children’s play area will also be introduced. To ensure visitor safety, an existing reservoir will be covered and timber railings will be installed on the west side of the garden overlooking the road, the PA said.

The Victoria Lines came into existence when in 1859 the British War Office issued a report highlighting the need for new strengthened fortifications. The British were concerned about potential enemy landings on the beaches of northern Malta, resulting in ground offensives from this part of the island. In 1875, works commenced on fortifying the 12-kilometre-long ridge known as the Great Fault which runs from Binġemma to Madliena. In 1907, the lines were abandoned only seven years after completion, having never actually been used owing to the change in warfare strategy and improvement in artillery. However, during the Second World War, further defences (popularly referred to as ‘pillboxes’) built in concrete and variably disguised in Maltese camouflage were built along the Victoria Lines. This form of defence was useful owing to the real threat of mass landings by Axis forces both on the beaches as well as by parachute droppings and glider landings (1942 Operation Hercules).

The fortifications get their name in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The Government of Malta included the Victoria Lines in the tentative list for inclusion as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. This military structure was scheduled by the Planning Authority as a Grade 1 national monument in 2001.