Till today, a lovely walk round this fertile and scenic location literally takes you back to Queen Victoria’s days, with the British building a hospital, military barracks and the famous clock tower.

It was built back in 1895, and remained in operation until April 2016, when it finally raised the white flag against the test of time. The four-faced tower was transferred to Mtarfa local council by the Government in 2010.

The restoration of the Clock Tower, coordinated by the Local Council, consisted of the replacement of lighting, stone cleaning, calibration of clock mechanism, works on the damaged stairway, stripping of rust from the railing and staircase leading to the roof.

This investment takes on historical and cultural importance, and former military sites are an important attractive pull for the thousands of tourists, particularly British holidaymakers and veterans, enjoying time on our islands.

The biggest job, for which the Local Council sought the assistance from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, involved the restoration of the four clock dials. All dials were painstakingly removed, microblasted, hammered as needed, repainted and lifted back in place.

The Local Council is now planning to take the project further, with the building of an interpretation centre showcasing the historical and military history of the former barracks town. EU Funds have been put to good use not only to improve Malta’s historic assets but to improve the value added of Malta’s attractions, creating further incentives that will also boost the small businesses present in town.