Town Range is an ancient street, pre-dating the British occupation of Gibraltar.
At the time of the Anglo-Dutch Capture of Gibraltar in 1704 it was only fully built on the west side and the east side was mostly still open ground; it was originally called Calle Nueba (New Street) in recognition of its partly developed state.
It is shown in a more completed form on the 1720 de la Feuille map and view of Gibraltar.
Although the city was largely destroyed in the Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1779–83, Town Range survived as Gibraltar was rebuilt on the same street plan, which remained exactly the same as in Moorish times.
During the 19th century the street was one of the districts of the city inhabited by the Jews of Gibraltar, who also settled in the Cooperage in the north end of Gibraltar and around King's Bastion on the waterfront.

The street was once notorious for its filthiness, due to the inadequacies of Gibraltar's water supply.
It was the location of the outbreak of the 1804 yellow fever epidemic, which had its origins in a tenement known as Boyd's Buildings that stood on the north end of the street near where the Garrison Library is now.
A resident of the overcrowded buildings, which were reputedly "the filthiest spot in Gibraltar", was said to have been infected with yellow fever during a visit to Cadiz.
A week later the epidemic broke out in Gibraltar, eventually killing 5,733 people out of a total of around 18,000 – 32 per cent of the population at the time.

Little was done about the sanitary problems; while the epidemic was still raging Lord Nelson suggested to the then governor that the houses at the back of the town should be burned down to root out the disease.
An article in the 1831 Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal noted Town Range's problems with sewage, remarking that in 1828 "the drains were much filled with filth" and were heavily affected by heavy rain in the month of August.
The drain from the soil-pit to the lower square of the Town Range was said to be "choked up, and burst open a short time before the regiment was sent to camp: and, in the King's Bastion, the sewers at the north and south, probably from a want of sufficient declivity, frequently allow the corrupt substances to accumulate at their entrances, and emit during the summer months exhalations".
The occupants of the area often complained of the smell emanating from the drains.

Conditions were equally unpleasant for the troops quartered on Town Range.
The Royal Engineers were based at the barracks here, and one of the quarters was converted into a married quarters.
Reports of the sanitation problems refer to the poor conditions ensured by the soldiers, who were said to have been "cooped up in the Town Range, smothered with the dust and the smoke, and deafened by the dirge of mule carts and trucks, and other abominable and unnatural noises".
The area's sanitation was finally improved in 1868 with the installation of a new drainage and sewerage system, which included the introduction of George Jennings' flush toilets in the barracks.
Town Range is an ancient street, pre-dating the British occupation of Gibraltar. At the time of the Anglo-Dutch Capture of Gibraltar in 1704 it was only fully built on the west side and the east side was mostly still open ground; it was originally called Calle Nueba (New Street) in recognition of its partly developed state. It is shown in a more completed form on the 1720 de la Feuille map and view of Gibraltar. Although the city was largely destroyed in the Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1779–83, Town Range survived as Gibraltar was rebuilt on the same street plan, which remained exactly the same as in Moorish times. During the 19th century the street was one of the districts of the city inhabited by the Jews of Gibraltar, who also settled in the Cooperage in the north end of Gibraltar and around King's Bastion on the waterfront.
The street was once notorious for its filthiness, due to the inadequacies of Gibraltar's water supply. It was the location of the outbreak of the 1804 yellow fever epidemic, which had its origins in a tenement known as Boyd's Buildings that stood on the north end of the street near where the Garrison Library is now. A resident of the overcrowded buildings, which were reputedly "the filthiest spot in Gibraltar", was said to have been infected with yellow fever during a visit to Cadiz. A week later the epidemic broke out in Gibraltar, eventually killing 5,733 people out of a total of around 18,000 – 32 per cent of the population at the time.
Little was done about the sanitary problems; while the epidemic was still raging Lord Nelson suggested to the then governor that the houses at the back of the town should be burned down to root out the disease. An article in the 1831 Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal noted Town Range's problems with sewage, remarking that in 1828 "the drains were much filled with filth" and were heavily affected by heavy rain in the month of August. The drain from the soil-pit to the lower square of the Town Range was said to be "choked up, and burst open a short time before the regiment was sent to camp: and, in the King's Bastion, the sewers at the north and south, probably from a want of sufficient declivity, frequently allow the corrupt substances to accumulate at their entrances, and emit during the summer months exhalations". The occupants of the area often complained of the smell emanating from the drains.
Conditions were equally unpleasant for the troops quartered on Town Range. The Royal Engineers were based at the barracks here, and one of the quarters was converted into a married quarters. Reports of the sanitation problems refer to the poor conditions ensured by the soldiers, who were said to have been "cooped up in the Town Range, smothered with the dust and the smoke, and deafened by the dirge of mule carts and trucks, and other abominable and unnatural noises". The area's sanitation was finally improved in 1868 with the installation of a new drainage and sewerage system, which included the introduction of George Jennings' flush toilets in the barracks.
Town Range