Exploring 'British Menorca': The UK's very own Balearic Island

THAT British nationals have long been making a beeline for Menorca is nothing newsworthy. The easternmost of the Balearic Islands is a magnet for expatriates, retired and of working age, and holidaymakers of all types, especially those seeking a quiet, relaxing haven with small fishing villages and secluded, rugged coves rather than nightclubs and theme parks. 

Yet once upon a time, a summer beach break in Menorca would, for a UK resident, have been a 'staycation': The most sparsely-inhabited of the region's four islands was, in fact, an integral part of the north-western European country.

If you were born and bred in Menorca, you would have been a British citizen, but unlike any other UK county, the legal and official language was catalán.

Nowadays, the island's tongue is recognised as a language in its own right, menorquín, rather than being considered a catalán dialect, as the two are far enough apart in linguistic terms for menorquín to stand alone.

In practice, menorquín is part of the wider family of languages known as balear, which includes mallorquín and ibicuenco, both of which are very close to Menorca's co-official tongue, and Castilian Spanish is spoken at least as much as each islands' own language and understood by almost 100% of natives.

English has never been an official language in Menorca, making it probably the only known British territory where the governing nation's main tongue was not in use.

Britain gets Menorca and Gibraltar in Treaty of Utrecht deal

Although not continuously, Menorca was under British rule for the best part of a century – an Anglo-Dutch squadron conquered it during the Spanish War of Succession in 1708, and the island was not returned to Spain until 1802.

Britain's sovereignty over Menorca was signed and sealed five years after the country colonised it, via the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 – the exact same document which made Gibraltar, on mainland Spain's southernmost tip, a UK territory.

The difference is that Gibraltar remains British, its natives are UK citizens and the official language is English - although most inhabitants speak Spanish due to the geographical proximity and often hop between the two in conversation - and this looks unlikely to change for another few generations, at least, given that the Rock's residents have always overwhelmingly spoken out in favour of remaining a part of Britain.

Perhaps this is because Gibraltar has been in UK hands for 309 years non-stop, whereas Menorca briefly became French after the two countries' neighbour seized it during the Seven Year War, between 1756 and 1763, and Spain also grabbed it back for 16 years between 1782 and 1798.

Britain would only hold onto the island for another four years after this, when the Treaty of Amiens passed it to Spain once again.

For a grand total of 71 years, though, the Union Jack was flown on the island – and the British decision to switch its capital from Ciutadella in the west to Mahón (Maó in menorquín) in the far east has never been reversed.

Menorca's Brit bits

Did the British leave their stamp on Menorca? Of course they did, but not in the form of fish and chip shops, supermarkets selling Marmite and Branston pickle, or Marks & Spencer or Boots or WHSmith stores.

Actually, you won't find much in the way of any of these in Menorca, even now – popular though the island is with northern European emigrants in general, it has never become a 'Britain-with-sun' enclave where every second bar serves up a Full English. The island retains all its 'real Spanishness', its original culture and traditions, fiestas, cuisine and languages; if it's total immersion and the genuine article you're seeking, Menorca is where you'll find it.

That said, if you're British and yearning for a little piece of 'home' to satiate those occasional nostalgic pangs, or you want to feel as though there's a part of the island that's truly 'yours', a section that's infused with your own, Anglo-Saxon DNA, it might be time to take a road-trip.

And given that Menorca is only about 56 kilometres from end to end, you could cram it all into a single day if you were pushed for time.

Fort Marlborough 

Right in the 'British' capital of the island, Mahón, in the Sant Esteve bay, this defensive outpost was built by the UK settlers between 1720 and 1726 and was named after the General Sir John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough.

It's not just bricks and mortar, either: A 'living' exhibition means visitors get to feel what it was really like during the various sieges in the 18th century, plunged deep into the heart of the period.

Fornells Tower

The quaint and beautiful whitewashed, sun-drenched fishing village of the same name is the perfect spot if you're seeking a small, close-knit community with a beach on the doorstep. Its tower, a coastal defence and lookout point, was built by the Brits just before the island was wrenched from their grip – between 1801 and 1802 – and is one of Menorca's largest.

It was fully restored 22 years ago and a museum set up inside, with a small collection, simple to follow, that explains what the British were doing on the island and why they were there.

Es Mercadal water well

Governor Sir Richard Kane commissioned the well in 1735 to supply fresh water to the British troops stationed in Mahón and Ciutadella, and to the whole of the village of Es Mercadal.

This is, in fact, a 'living' legacy that the UK left for Menorca – not only is the well perfectly preserved and in excellent condition, but it is still in use and connected to the mains.

Whenever residents in Es Mercadal turn on their taps, they have the Brits to thank for what comes out of them. 

Sant Felip Castle

This solid fortress pre-dates Menorca's British rule by nearly 200 years – it was built in Mahón harbour in the 16th century, although the UK settlers gradually expanded it during their time on the island, creating a vast and tortuous network of underground tunnels and galleries where they sought refuge during armed invasions.

A siege staged by Spanish troops in 1782 razed it to the ground, but it was rebuilt and has since been restored as a visitor attraction.

The 'Kane Way'

Another British 'invention' that continues to be used today, albeit not for its original purpose, the network of footpaths and rural roads dug out and flagged up at the instructions of Sir Richard Kane between 1712 and 1717 allows hikers to get their fill of fresh air and countryside views over 300 years later.

Back then, the myriad of lanes was designed to enable troops to get from the fortresses in Ciutadella and Mahón easily and without being spotted by enemies approaching from the coast, and to connect up the most remote, out-of-the-way rural villages and isolated settlements.

In providing easy access on foot and on horseback to the sea and the main towns for those living in off-the-beaten-track parts – crucial for trade as well as in combat – Sir Richard Kane's routes cut through hidden mountain areas and ensured the British Armed Forces stayed out of sight when it counted.

The pathways and roads are known as the Camino de Kane, named after the governor who set them up, and are heavily frequented by ramblers either on organised walking tours or armed with a map and setting off under their own steam.

Es Castellar Tower

The idea of this watch point was to protect the Sant Nicolau Castle and safeguard the coast in the Ciutadella area, ready to repel any attempts at invasion and forcible occupation.

It took three years to build, but practically as soon as it was finished, the British owners lost it, along with the island it stands on, to the Spanish government when Menorca was snatched back in 1802 by the nation it still forms part of 220 years on.

You'll find it in Sa Caleta, a hefty, solid stone affair, a squat and circular tower with arrow-slits in the centre of a circular compound enclosed by dry-stone walls.