Fort Campbell - Selmun, Malta - Three-Arched Entrance Checkpoint Beside the Old Gate

The abandoned entrance checkpoint at Fort Campbell in Selmun, Malta, featuring three limestone arches, a dark central passageway and the twisted remains of the original iron entrance gate.

This photograph shows a limestone building believed to have served as an entrance checkpoint at Fort Campbell on the Selmun peninsula in northern Malta. Three substantial stone arches dominate the façade, with the central opening leading into a dark passageway and the two adjoining arches framing recessed areas of the building. The right-hand opening contains a barred window, while faded graffiti and damaged plaster are visible on the interior walls. On the left, the twisted and heavily rusted remains of the original iron entrance gate stand beside a substantial limestone pillar. Dry grasses and weeds have spread across the ground in front of the building, and strong Mediterranean sunlight illuminates the pale limestone, creating deep shadows beneath the arches. Despite its deteriorating condition, the structure retains much of its original architectural character.

Fort Campbell was constructed by the British between 1937 and 1938 as part of Malta’s coastal defence system shortly before the Second World War. Situated on the Selmun peninsula overlooking St Paul’s Bay, the fort was equipped with three 6-inch coastal artillery guns intended to protect the northern maritime approaches to Malta. Unlike the prominent bastioned fortifications of earlier centuries, Fort Campbell incorporated dispersed buildings, relatively low walls and an irregular perimeter intended to blend into the surrounding agricultural landscape and reduce visibility from the air. Security and controlled access were important aspects of military installations, particularly those containing artillery positions, ammunition facilities and accommodation for military personnel. The building visible in this photograph stands immediately beside a former entrance gate and may have functioned as a guardroom or checkpoint controlling movement into part of the military compound. Its central passageway and adjoining recessed areas are consistent with such a purpose, although the exact original use of the building has not been independently confirmed. Following the end of the fort’s military service, the complex was abandoned, and many structures deteriorated through weathering, damage and the removal of reusable materials. The surviving entrance arches and rusting gate provide a particularly interesting example of the fort’s remaining infrastructure. This photograph documents the architectural relationship between the gateway and its adjoining building, preserving a visual record of the former military entrance and another distinctive feature of Fort Campbell’s British military heritage.