modern history new mole parade

March 31, 2020

Modern History New Mole Parade

New Mole Parade no longer exists. It was dug out right down to sea level in order to accommodate the dry docks. This photograph shows what it looked like before the dockyard extension works started in 1893. The photograph shows the large square, the Europa Hotel and a wine shop. The square had an area of 15,500 square yards (about 13,000 square metres) on a level with the Rosia main road. The west side of the square was covered with gun emplacements. The square was often used as a football ground by military and civilians and circus companies pitched their tents there when visiting
Gibraltar. At its north-west corner there was a single entrance into the old Naval Yard. Near this entrance was a military guard. Close by were two huts, used by the Civil Police and by Revenue Inspectors. Access to the yard was gained via a drawbridge which was lifted at night. From the drawbridge,
access was gained via wooden steps and a slope leading down to the yard where there was a Dockyard Police hut.

Among the well-known buildings around the parade were "The Elms" and the Europa Hotel which was a high class hotel greatly favoured by wealthy people as a winter resort. Another building was "Mariquita's" or Albion House, a lodging house used by people coming to Gibraltar for a rest. With the
construction of the docks, the house cracked from top to bottom and had to be demolished. It stood where the Tower Buildings were later erected.

Finally, there was "Cunningham's Pub" which was an inexpensive luncheon rendezvous for the dockyard staff.