Clapham Junction and cave dwellings

Visitors lucky enough to find the cart ruts hardly notice the caves unless there is a local around. Although some cleaning has been going on recently, as well as the building of the rubble walls and the clearing of some of the ruts and the quarry, the state of the whole area still leaves much to be desired.

The recent burning in one of the caves where the punic tombs (those inside the caves) are found was due to animal dung layering the whole floor of the cave, as for some time the caves were used as animal shelters.

It is very evident that the tourism authorities are not yet aware of the touristic value of the whole area, which includes Dingli Cliffs and the Buskett forest and gardens, as they all seem to share the same sorry state.

Busloads of tourists, especially French and Germans, visit the place daily, not to mention tourists visiting by bus and hired cars. It is also to be noted that these are mostly winter and cultural tourists. The nearest toilets are to be found, also if a local is around, at Buskett or in Dingli.

Although the cart ruts were always known to be a part of Dingli since the natural death of Hal Tartarni, by some unknown fate they now fall within the confines of Siggiewi council.

A booklet, Life in Ghar il-Kbir by Joe Zammit Ciantar, and a Dingli council publication containing historical data and more about the caves, can be bought from Dingli council.