Fort Delimara, the Victorian fort with guns found nowhere else

The Delimara peninsula is known above all for St Peter’s Pool. Few people realise there’s a British fort at its tip with something no other place in the world has. Four 38-ton guns still sit on the carriages and platforms they were mounted on in the 19th century, and Heritage Malta says they are the last ones left like that.

A fort to close off Marsaxlokk Harbour

Fort Delimara went up between 1876 and 1878 as part of a ring of forts and batteries guarding the harbour at Marsaxlokk, alongside Tas-Silġ, San Luċjan and Bengħajsa. It’s a flankless fort surrounded by a dry ditch with three counterscarp galleries, and its main gate was finished in 1881, as the date carved above it records.

Inside, what strikes you is the size of the parade ground, very large for a Victorian fortification, with several barrack blocks around it. From the gate, separate passages lead to the communication passage, the casemates and the parade ground itself.

Why do its guns matter so much?

The original armament was six 38-ton rifled muzzle-loaders. In Malta only the 100-ton guns of Fort Rinella and Fort Cambridge were bigger. Four remain in place, conserved and repainted, and that’s what makes Delimara a reference point for anyone interested in 19th-century artillery.

The later story is that of any coastal fort trying to keep up. A rearmament with breech-loaders was proposed in 1887, new emplacements were built in 1891, two 9.2-inch guns became its main armament in 1913, and in 1938 and 1939 they were swapped for smaller 6-inch pieces. In the Second World War it was bombed from the air and fired on enemy mine-laying operations. It stayed in use until 1956 and passed to the Maltese government in 1964. I cover the island’s other forts in forts in Malta.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Fort Delimara and choose by the reviews.

How you visit

Here’s the catch. The fort can only be seen on a curator’s tour booked in advance, and Heritage Malta’s page lists neither walk-in hours nor a price. If it appeals, book first and plan the day around it.

Getting there isn’t instant either. The nearest bus stop is in Marsaxlokk, about 3 km away. I’d combine it with St Peter’s Pool for a dip, since it’s on the same peninsula, and a fish lunch by the harbour. By car it’s all easy; on foot, allow for the heat in summer.

Who it’s for

If you like artillery, military strategy or Victorian architecture, it’s a visit few travellers make and there’s plenty to it. If you’ve come to Malta for beaches and temples, I wouldn’t put it ahead of Valletta, the Three Cities or Mdina. What anyone can do is walk the peninsula and look at the fort from outside, with the harbour and its painted luzzu boats behind you. Book the curator’s tour well ahead, since it’s the only way in.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Valletta on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

So you do not pay over the odds, look at trains, coaches and flights to Malta on Omio and pick the one that suits you.