British Barracks at Fort Chambray, Gozo, MALTA
The British Barracks at Fort Chambray, Gozo, are a unique and irreplaceable witness to Malta’s layered military and social history. As the island’s only surviving example of British military housing, they reveal 19th-century soldiers’ family life within an 18th-century fort and embody broader reforms in living conditions introduced by the British Army. Yet today, the barracks face imminent destruction: a Planning Authority permit from December 2024 allows demolition of up to 85% of the barracks to make way for intensive residential and hotel development, threatening irreversible loss of architectural, historical and cultural value.
The British Barracks are one of Gozo’s most important 19th-century military sites, commanding sweeping views over the Gozo-Malta Channel. Commissioned in 1749 by François de Chambray of the Order of St. John, the fort was designed by French engineer Louis François de Tigné as a fortified town and refuge for the Gozitan population, repeatedly threatened by Ottoman pirate raids. With its bastions, curtain walls, ravelins and covertway, Fort Chambray is a sophisticated example of military engineering. Though the fort’s original plan to house an entire town was never realised, it played a key defensive role during the 1798 French invasion and later, under British rule, serving as a hospital during the Crimean War, the Gallipoli and Salonika campaigns during World War I.
The British Barracks, recorded on Admiralty maps by 1895, add a later but equally significant layer to the fort’s history. Architecturally and typologically unique in Gozo, they are the only surviving British military barracks on the island. Their social value is profound: they include married soldiers’ quarters, reflecting late 19th-century reforms that improved family life and living conditions. Beyond their architectural merit, the barracks are a tangible link to Malta’s military and colonial past.
Today, this irreplaceable heritage faces imminent destruction. A December 2024 permit allows demolition of roughly 85% of the barracks and relocation of its façade for intensive residential and hotel development. Decades of prior interventions — including the destruction of bastion walls, clearance of cemeteries, and gradual privatisation — have already compromised the site, which is now largely closed to the public. Immediate action is essential to safeguard the barracks, preserve their historical and social significance and ensure Fort Chambray remains a living testament to Gozo’s layered history.
Local communities and civil society organisations have mobilised strongly in response. An appeal against the approved development was filed by Din l-Art Ħelwa – National Trust for Malta, joined by Moviment Graffitti and Wirt Għawdex. ICOMOS Malta, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar and numerous academics have also publicly expressed serious concerns. Din l-Art Ħelwa, a Member Organisation of Europa Nostra, nominated the British Barracks at Fort Chambray for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2026.
The Advisory Panel of the 7 Most Endangered Programme noted: “Fort Chambray is a site of high historical and symbolic value, representing a unique layer of Gozo’s military and social history. The 19th-century British Barracks are the only remaining examples of their kind on the island, yet they face imminent demolition to make way for a dense residential development. Despite legal agreements to safeguard the heritage site, past developers have neglected the structures in favour of constructing more housing. This prioritisation of real estate over the original 18th and 19th-century fortifications threatens to erase a critical chapter of Malta’s architectural legacy.”
Safeguarding the British Barracks offers the potential to transform Fort Chambray into a catalyst for sustainable development, balancing heritage conservation with social, cultural and economic benefits. Preserved and reused, the site could reconnect Gozo’s communities with a landmark of their shared history while promoting responsible regeneration rooted in identity rather than loss.
