55-559: 54°05′06″N 4°46′01″W / 54.085°N 4.767°W / 54.085; -4.767 The Port Erin Breakwater Railway was a construction line built in Port Erin on the Isle of Man in 1863 and had the distinction of being the first steam railway on the island, as well as the only broad gauge line. The locomotive was named Henry B. Loch after the then lieutenant governor of
110-506: A "petty school" in 1675. William Walker (1679–1729) was appointed to the mastership in 1700; school was probably kept in the old Chapel, in later Heywood Place.) Walker was later preferred as Rector of Ballaugh, and received an honorary Doctorate. He is now remembered in his mother's Manx Gaelic lament on her sons: "Illiam Walker as Robin Tear". The more formal history of education in the city begins with Bishop Thomas Wilson's establishment of
165-545: A derivation from Manx sheear 'westerly'. The outer breakwater, visible at low tide only, was an abandoned project constructed in 1863 using the Port Erin Breakwater Railway and saw the first steam locomotive used in the Island; a severe storm of 1884 later destroyed the breakwater and it was never rebuilt. Today, a marker buoy shows the extent of the breakwater, and the landward end is still clearly discernible. To
220-530: A multi-use stadium located on Pulrose Road is owned by Douglas Borough Council. A free Parkrun takes place in Nobles Park, St. Ninian's Road every Saturday. Douglas is home to eight of the seventeen football clubs that compete in the Isle of Man Football League : Douglas Rugby Club and Vagabonds Rugby Club are based in the city. Their 1st teams play in the English competitions and reserve teams play in
275-569: A pier were built to accommodate the burgeoning "running trade" ( smuggling ): one of the stimuli for the town's expansion. Other forms of trade also grew, and after the Revestment Act 1765 , Douglas began to reap the benefits of transatlantic trade, due in part to co-operation at a local level with Liverpool . Legitimate merchants who rose to prominence over the period included the Murreys, the Moores, and
330-511: A public meeting, the idea of a town council was rejected in favour of retaining the system of Town High Bailiffs; when the Town Bill Act was passed at Tynwald in 1852, the people of Douglas again rejected the idea. However, an Act passed later that decade, which did not include opt-out clauses, was accepted, and in 1860, Douglas elected its first town council, which was predominantly middle class in its makeup. The Town Commissioners could tackle
385-438: A subsidiary of the railway. There is a coach park to the rear of the railway station, formerly occupied by Tours (Isle Of Man) Limited, though more often used by visiting coaches in recent times. A number of private taxi services operate from the village into the later hours, though other Douglas-based hackneys will serve the south on demand. The beach is sandy and is on a bay bounded by two headlands which (on windy days) funnel
440-586: A sweeping bay of two miles (three kilometres). The River Douglas forms part of the city's harbour and main commercial port. Douglas was a small settlement until it grew rapidly as a result of links with the English port of Liverpool in the 18th century. Further population growth came in the following century, resulting during the 1860s in a staged transfer of the High Courts, the Lieutenant Governor's residence (actually located in nearby Onchan), and finally
495-629: Is famed for its views, including spectacular sunsets over Port Erin Bay and Bradda Head, as well as glimpses of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland in the distance. The largest church in the village is dedicated to St Catherine and located on Church Road at its junction with the upper promenade and lies within its own grounds. The church was built in 1880 with funds donated by local locksmith William Milner. In addition to regular community services
550-606: Is served by BBC North West Tonight on BBC One and ITV Granada Reports on ITV1 . The city is served by three local newspapers: the Isle of Man Examiner , the Isle of Man Courier and the Manx Independent . References to education in Douglas begin in the late 17th century, with mention of the schoolmastership, usually combined with the Chaplaincy of Douglas, and reference to
605-507: Is the Island's busiest, partly because it calls at the Island's airport. A late evening service also operates on Friday and Saturday evenings, called the Night Owl ( Hullaid Oie ), which charges higher fares. There are also occasional buses to Peel (Service No. 8) via Foxdale; all these buses are within the Island's transport network Bus Vannin , a government-run service which replaced the railway-operated Isle Of Man Road Services in 1976, itself
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#1733115324844660-588: Is the coastal weather station at Ronaldsway , about 7 miles (11 km) south-west of Douglas. The highest temperature recorded in Ronaldsway stands at 28.9 °C (84.0 °F), recorded in July 1983. On average, a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) or more is recorded 0.8 days per year at Ronaldsway (1981–2010) and on average the highest temperature of the year is 24.1 °C (75.4 °F). On average, 14.5 days of air frost per year were recorded at Ronaldsway in
715-639: Is the hub of the island's bus network, with frequent services to Port Erin, Peel and Ramsey, as well as various more local bus services. The city also has the termini of the two main railway lines on the island: the steam railway to Port Erin and the electric tramway to Ramsey. It is also the home of the ferry terminal , from where the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operates regular services to Heysham and to Liverpool (Birkenhead in winter) and occasional services to Dublin and to Belfast. The Isle of Man 's three main radio stations Manx Radio , Energy FM and 3FM are all based in Douglas. Local TV coverage
770-508: Is titled as Port Erin Gospel Church and has an emphasis on evangelism with people travelling over from Ulster regularly to oversee the work. The 2006 film Stormbreaker , starring Ewan McGregor , was filmed on Port Erin beach; the village has also been used by various production companies including the BBC whose serialised drama The Ginger Tree was filmed at the railway station in 1989, and
825-632: The International Business School are also located in Douglas. Douglas has a number of attractions and items of interest: Douglas saw the first architectural essays of the Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott . Douglas is the start and finish point for the Isle of Man TT . The race had been a part of the FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship but lost its status when a new British motorcycle Grand Prix
880-743: The Tyne-class lifeboat Sir William Hillary . There are three memorials to Sir William in Douglas: one in St George's Church where he was buried in 1847, one on Loch Promenade, and the other on Douglas Head near where he established the Tower of Refuge in 1832. During the First and Second World Wars , some parts of Douglas and elsewhere in the Isle of Man were home to internment camps for " enemy aliens ". Douglas held seven out of
935-522: The 1750s. More formally, Nicholson's Packet Service began in 1765 or 1766, and the Post Office mail contract was secured by 1782. Sailings were irregular and heavily dependent on weather conditions. Steamer services brought a considerable improvement; the first regular link (en route between Greenock and Liverpool) was available from 1819. The formation of what became the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1830 led to greatly improved services, and also laid
990-600: The 19th century, the town's demographics followed the same trends as the United Kingdom, due to the Industrial Revolution . The number of holiday visitors grew from the early 19th century, and from around 1870 onwards, the town was transformed into a leading holiday resort. But there were increasingly unsanitary conditions, and poor quality housing; again reflecting a trend seen across the United Kingdom. The open sewage , middens (domestic waste dumps), and smell from
1045-573: The Bacons. The town's later prosperity was facilitated by the low cost of living, and the favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and half-pay officers. The initial growth and development of the ALR owed much to its natural harbour (now the Inner Harbour), since greatly expanded and improved. Over the 18th century, the town's population rose from about 800 in 1710 to nearly 2,500 in 1784. Throughout
1100-579: The British TV documentary Coast was filmed here. They also filmed in the White Cottage front garden. Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas ( Manx : Doolish , pronounced [ˈdðuːlʲəʃ] ) is the capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man , with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of 4.1 square miles (10.5 km ). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas , and on
1155-756: The Douglas Grammar School. Alderman William Dixon (a native of Douglas, but resident in Dublin since at least the 1680s ) agreed to hand over his parents' former home, and passed over the New Bond Street property in 1714. The Bishop raised an endowment of £500 (Irish currency), half being funded by the Barrow Trustees, most of the balance being provided by the Bishop's Douglas relatives, the Murrey family. Even after this,
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#17331153248441210-644: The building was extended and re-orientated to provide a larger church with a church hall. Located at the same site as the Catholic Church, this is a further modern-build small church. It was founded in 1991 and later came under the auspices of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster . This is one of the only churches in the Island which continues to use exclusively the King James Version of the Bible. It
1265-454: The church is also well known for its summer concert series that runs on a Wednesday evening throughout the summer months from May to September, featuring local talent. This church is at the junction of Droghadfayle Road with the main road entering the village, and has a mid-sized, modern built community hall annexed to it which hosts the Over Sixties club regularly in addition to services. To
1320-553: The cinematic adaptation of Five Children & It . An episode of the BBC documentary marking 20 years since the end of steam trains in the UK, The Train Now Departing , filmed extensive scenes in and around the station, interviewing the station master. The village has also featured in the holiday series Wish You Were Here...? and Holiday '91 with Judith Chalmers . In 2011 an episode of
1375-493: The city thus came from a nearby river. It is a common name for place names around the British Isles , related to other toponyms such as Dyfleis, Dulais , Develish, Dawlish , Dowlish and, of course, other settlements named Douglas . In the absence of any archaeological data, the origins of the city may be revealed by analysis of the original street and plot pattern. The discovery of a bronze weapon in central Douglas, and
1430-558: The foundations for growth in both cargo and tourist traffic. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has a lifeboat station at Douglas. The first lifeboat station in the port was established in 1802. In 1825 it was one of the first lifeboat stations to be provided with a purpose-built lifeboat; this was at the request of Sir William Hillary , the founder of the Institution. It was not operational between 1851 and 1868, and it closed in 1895. The station, established in 1874, operates
1485-531: The harbour at low tide all contributed to the town's uncleanliness. Oil and gas lamps first appeared in the late 1820s and 1830s, the first hospital to join the Dispensary was built in 1850, and in 1832 the scenic Tower of Refuge was built in Douglas Bay to offer shelter and provisions for sailors awaiting rescue. Douglas in the first half of the 19th century often suffered from the destitution of its population and
1540-402: The import/export trade. In 1681 Thomas Denton described Douglas as "the place of greatest resort" on the Isle of Man, and by 1705 a clear picture of the early town emerges, with hints that its residential, market, and military defence functions were growing in importance alongside the port facility. The town thrived in the next 60 years, as imposing merchants' houses, large warehouses, quays and
1595-448: The island . Some photographs exist of the construction and locomotive but it is not known what became of any of the stock and assumed that it was returned to the UK upon completion of the project. Port Erin Port Erin ( Manx : Purt Çhiarn 'lord's port' or originally 'Irish port') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man , in the historic parish of Rushen . It
1650-494: The island near the confluence of the two rivers Dhoo and Glass forming the Douglas . At Douglas, the river flows through the quay and into Douglas Bay . A gently sloping valley runs inland and there are hills around the city. The city is surrounded by several villages, most notably Onchan to the north-east (which forms a conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west. The weather reporting station closest to Douglas
1705-495: The island's total population of 84,069. Douglas elects eight members of the House of Keys: two each from four constituencies (Central, East, South and North). The House of Keys is the lower house of Tynwald , the Manx parliament. The local authority responsible for the running of services is Douglas City Council (formerly Douglas Borough Council), which has 12 elected councillors. Douglas
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1760-572: The large Ballaquayle Viking treasure hoard on the outskirts (now in the Manx Museum and British Museum , London ), both in the 1890s, hint at the early importance of the site now occupied by Douglas. Scholars agree that the name of the city derives from Early Celtic 'Duboglassio' meaning 'black river'. Douglas is twice referred to in the monastic Chronicle of the Kings of Man and the Isles : first in 1190, when
1815-792: The main shopping centre. The city was the birthplace of the Gibb brothers, Maurice , Robin , both deceased, and Barry , the members of the Bee Gees . Douglas was home to the Summerland leisure centre , which suffered a catastrophic fire in 1973. In 2011 Douglas hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games . On 20 May 2022, it was announced that, as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours , Douglas would receive city status by Letters Patent sometime later in 2022. The letters patent
1870-456: The many epidemics, in particular cholera . The rise of Douglas as the social and economic stronghold was recognised in 1869, when it became the home of the island's parliament, Tynwald , and therefore the capital, an honour previously held by Castletown , a smaller town in the south of the island. Douglas's political landscape also changed significantly in the 19th century, in spite of the conservatism of some townsfolk: in 1844, for example, at
1925-489: The mastership of Douglas Grammar School continued to be combined with the Chaplaincy, now of the new Chapel of St Matthew. Details of the building of the original Grammar School are sparse, but it seems that William Murrey was deeply involved, retaining the use of the capacious storage vault under the school in lieu of repayment of £150 costs. Another notable Master of the Grammar School was Rev. Philip Moore (1705–1783) who
1980-473: The monks of St Mary's Abbey at Rushen were transferred there for a four-year stay; then again in 1313, when Robert the Bruce , King of Scotland, spent the night at the "monastery of Duglas" on his way to seize Castle Rushen . These may be references to the site of the later Nunnery, a little upstream from the port. The first detailed documentation shows that in 1511 there were only thirteen resident households in
2035-408: The nearby road. The station is now a fraction of its original size, with the former bay platform and sidings now occupied by the storage yard for Bus Vannin, whilst an additional area once used for maintenance has been replaced by The Haven public house. More recent developments have seen the platform shortened and a carriage shed constructed in the yard, capable of storing eight carriages. Prior to this
2090-474: The north-east, by the A7 road, are the earthwork remains of a motte-and-bailey castle known as Cronk Howe Mooar , possibly the site of a timber fortification built by Magnus Barelegs [Barefoot] c. 1100. The oldest building in the village is known as "white cottage" or "Christian's cottage"; it was built by William Christian and his family in 1781. The Christian family still own the cottage today. During World War II
2145-459: The outskirts of the village on the main road to Port St Mary, another modern build small church with its own parking area; it can be found at the same site as the community gospel church. It is dedicated to St Columba and was built in 1923 to replace a temporary chapel on the shore line beneath the Bellevue Hotel previously used as a marine biology station and converted to a chapel in 1903. In 1989
2200-476: The period 1981–2010. The lowest temperature recorded in Ronaldsway is −9.1 °C (15.6 °F), recorded in December 1961. For the period of 1981–2010, the lowest temperature of the year was −3.4 °C (25.9 °F) on average. The Isle of Man census 2021 lists the population of Douglas as 26,677, a reduction from the 2011 population of 27,938. The 2001 census gave a population of 25,347. The city has 31.73% of
2255-647: The prevailing westerly wind towards the village. On sunny days, the bay acts as a suntrap. To the north of the promenade is Bradda Glen, one of the Manx National Glens . The northern headland, Bradda Head , has an iconic memorial tower called Milner's Tower . The promenade, on the east side of the bay, is somewhat higher than the seafront, and primarily consists of hotels, mostly built in the Victorian era , although due to changes in taste among tourists, many of these are being converted into flats and apartments. The town
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2310-494: The rear of the church lies the village's branch of the Royal British Legion in the same cluster of buildings. Constructed in 1980 at the same time and in a similar architectural style to a surrounding housing estate, this church began life in neighbouring Castletown before relocating and expanding its current headquarters in 1985; since this time the building has also been modified and expanded subject to demand. Found on
2365-477: The rolling stock was stored in the open. Bus services operate directly via a stop outside the village's railway station to the Island's capital Douglas via Port St Mary , Colby , Castletown , Ronaldsway Airport and Ballasalla , using route numbers 1, 2, 11 and 12; these run about every twenty minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, with a less frequent service on Sundays and after 6.00pm. Some of these services (1c and 11b) use an alternative coastal route. The route
2420-752: The seat of the legislature, Tynwald , to Douglas from the ancient capital, Castletown . The city is the island's main hub for business, finance, legal services, shipping, transport, shopping, and entertainment. The annual Isle of Man TT motorcycle races start and finish in Douglas. It is generally agreed that the toponyms of English Douglas and Manx Doolish both come from Proto-Celtic * duboglassio -, where * dubo - (which survives today in Welsh as du and Irish as dubh ) meant 'black; deep' and * glassio - (surviving in Welsh glais and Irish glais ) meant 'water, river'; thus, it probably meant 'deep river'. The name of
2475-467: The settlement clustered north of the harbour; most of the property there was classified as "chambers" (unoccupied, unheated, single-celled structures) for which rent was paid by non-residents including clergy, officials and landowners from elsewhere on the island. This suggests that the city's nucleus originated as a non-urban port. Speculation links the store buildings with the Irish Sea herring fishery, and
2530-685: The source) port Éireann , which then was anglicized. The Manx version Purt Çhiarn is explained through the palatalization of plosive /t/ into affricate /tʃ/, resulting a pronunciation like [poːrˈtʃɑːrn]. The - eann ending was reduced due to its unstressed nature. The Éi - /eː/ lowered into /ɛː/ in the presence of /r/ and was thereafter confused with the existing Manx word çhiarn 'lord'. The toponym has variably been spelt <Port Iron>, possibly from an earlier form Port Yiarn (showing no palatalization of /t/). Cregeen 's Dictionary (1835) writes Erin as <Sheearan> ~ <Sheearayn>, which Kneen speculates must have been confused as
2585-522: The ten internment camps on the island during World War II, including: Hutchinson , Metropole , Central, Palace, Granville and Sefton Camp . Sections of the Promenade were cordoned off and many guest houses were used for the purpose. The war dead of the island are commemorated on the Douglas War Memorial . Douglas is now the main home of the island's offshore financial services industry, and also of
2640-628: The town was achieved at the expense of the original maze-like layout of the oldest streets. These were cleared away in the new street schemes and slum clearances of the 1870s to 1920s. The town's infrastructure was radically altered for tourists' convenience, and in 1878 the Loch Promenade was constructed. In 1870, there were 60,000 visitors annually; by 1884, this had grown to 182,000. In 1887, 310,916 visited for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee . The earliest organised ferry services emerged between Douglas and Whitehaven, established by William Nicholson in
2695-433: The town's problems with greater efficiency, and by 1869 the sewage problem had been largely resolved. The Commissioners also worked to alter the anachronistic architecture of Douglas, built during the era of fishing and trading, and no longer amenable or safe for tourists. The proportion of the total Manx population living in Douglas was also expanding, with 35% living there by 1891. The Victorian and later modernisation of
2750-434: The village of Cregneash ) to the south. Following recent residential expansion, the settlement is now contiguous with that of Port St Mary, and on 18 July 2018 Tynwald authorised a public enquiry into the proposed expansion of the district boundary to include some of this expansion. The village was twinned with Latour-de-France . The English toponym Port Erin means 'Irish port', coming from " Gaelic " (named as such in
2805-449: The village was the location of Port Erin Women's Detention Camp . Port Erin is linked to the rest of the Island by three roads: The steam railway station forms the western terminus of the Isle of Man Railway and sits in the centre of the village. The station is built of distinctive red Ruabon brick in an unusual design specifically to fit into its diagonal site between the platforms and
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#17331153248442860-463: Was a native of the city, his father Robert Moore having been one of the "Undertakers" who organised the construction of St Matthews, and his mother Miss Katherine Kelly. Moore was appointed Master in 1735, and was reckoned to be a good classical scholar, and have "an inherent love of teaching". Today, Douglas has two high schools: Ballakermeen High School and St. Ninian's High School , and numerous primary schools. University College Isle of Man and
2915-626: Was established in 1977. The Isle of Man Cricket Club was formed in 1930 and later reformed as the IoM Cricket Association. It was elected a member of the International Cricket Council in 2004. The National Sports Centre (NSC), is a large multi-sports centre and athletics stadium located on Pulrose Road. Owned by the Department of Tourism and Leisure it is operated by Manx Sport & Recreation. The King George V Bowl ,
2970-503: Was expected to be effective from 1 November 2022, although there were some reports in November 2022 that it was somehow delayed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , to a unknown date. A council meeting was said to discuss the issue in February 2023, but it was not discussed. Queen Camilla presented Letters Patent conferring city status on 20 March 2024. Douglas is on the east of
3025-420: Was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it is designated as a village district, with its own board of commissioners. The district covers around 1 square mile, and is adjacent to: Port St Mary to the south-east; the main part of Arbory and Rushen parish district to the north and east; the sea to the west; and an exclave of Arbory and Rushen parish district (including
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