Rosia Water Tanks
| Rosia Water Tanks | |
|---|---|
 Location of former Rosia Water Tanks in Gibraltar
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| General information | |
| Location | Rosia Bay, Gibraltar |
| Coordinates | 36°07′17″N 5°21′06″W / 36.12130°N 5.35179°WCoordinates: 36°07′17″N 5°21′06″W / 36.12130°N 5.35179°W |
| Construction started | 1799 |
| Completed | 1804 |
| Demolished | 2006 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | John Maria Boschetti |
The Rosia Water Tanks were large water tanks built at the turn of the nineteenth century at Rosia Bay in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. They were constructed based on the recommendation by Admiral John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent that the Victualling Yard complex be relocated to Rosia Bay. The complex allowed Royal Navy vessels to obtain both food and water at one site. The Rosia Water Tanks remained in the possession of the Ministry of Defence until 2004, at which time they were transferred to the Government of Gibraltar. Despite local and international criticism, and a court case brought by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust, the tanks were demolished in 2006 to make way for affordable housing. When developer OEM International's funding proved insufficient to complete the project the government repossessed the site.
John Jervis, 1st Earl St Vincent (1735-1823), Admiral in Charge of the Mediterranean Fleet, made recommendations in 1799 concerning the location of the Victualling Yard in Gibraltar. St Vincent advised the Victualling Yard be relocated from the Old Mole area to Rosia Bay so that both water and food could be provided to Royal Navy vessels from one site. Governor O'Hara did not approve of St Vincent's plan because he proposed to finance it by selling the naval stores at Waterport and Irish Town. However St Vincent won.
Not only did the site allow access to the bay, the presence of Parson's Lodge Battery afforded protection from gunfire. The Victualling Yard complex, including the Victualling Yard, Rosia Water Tanks, and Rosia Mole, was constructed at the turn of the nineteenth century, the tanks begun in 1799 and finished in 1804.
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