Douglas Head

From ManxWiki

Aerial view of Douglas Head from the 1930s.

Douglas Head is the rocky headland marking the southern end of Douglas Bay and overlooking the harbour. The Head was developed as a tourism location during Victorian times and some reminents of these times remain.

1 History
2 Aerial Map
3 Current Facilities
4 Historic Facilities
5 Memorials
6 Trivia
7 Gallery
8 See Also
9 External links

History

The headland was originally owned by The Nunnery Estate until 1870, when Sir John Goldie-Taubman gave part of it to 'the people of Douglas' by donating it to Douglas Town Council.

Aided by the views over Douglas Harbour and bay, the headland grew as a popular entertainment location during the Victorian tourism period with a Hotel, fairground, sideshows and regular shows at the amphitheatre.

Access to the Headland was available via South Quay or by using one of the 3 steam ferries of Douglas Harbour Ferry Service that dropped passengers off a short walk away from a Funicular Railway.

In the later part of the 19th Century as usage of Douglas Head grew, two ideas were put forward for improving access across the harbour and up to the Head. One was a tunnel under the harbour and the other was the Douglas Head Suspension Bridge, a massive scheme that would have seen a road suitable for horse drawn carriages rising to 100ft above the harbour and reaching across to the Headland. The plans also proposed an extension to the lesure facilities and a new housing development. Needless to say, the scheme didn't come to fruition.

During the Second World War Douglas Head was the location of a major RADAR station and extensive radar research, development and training of systems and operators took place here. Manx Radio, whose studio was relocated from Douglas Promenade to the refurbished former RADAR station, was the first licenced independent station in the British Isles

Aerial Map

Current Facilities

Historic Facilities

The amphitheatre remains in situ but until the "Douglas Head Extravaganza" on 17th August 2008 had not been used for many years. The theatre building has recently been kept in decorative order by staff from RBS International as part of their Corporate Membership of Douglas Development Partnership.

Lower reminent of the funicular railway which ran alongside the stairs to near the Camera Obscura (upper left)

Marine Drive connects Douglas Head with Port Soderick

Memorials

Douglas Head is home to four memorials:

A large stone cross mounted on a stone plinth decicated to those who lost their lives in World War 1. Following World War 2 extra dedications were added.
A statue of RNLI founder and Isle of Man resident Sir William Hillary who was also the leading man behind the building of the Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock
A large stone anchor is dedicated to the contribution and sacrifice made by Manx people during the Battle of Trafalgar and was placed on the headland marking the centenary of that event
A Granite bollard and plinth from the harbourside in the Isle of Whithorn, giving thanks from the families and friends of those lost their lives in the Solway Harvester whose bodies were recovered by the Manx Government contrary to previous maritine tradition

Trivia

Marine Drive was a toll road to which the Douglas Head Marine Drive Tramway was added. The impressive arched gateway was the toll gate, rooms on the seaward side are long gone. The only evidence of the tramway's existance is at the highest point on the underside of the landside arch where the overhead cable was attached to the stonework.
The road runs the full length of Marine Drive however it is closed to through traffic due to rock instability. It is still possible to walk and cycle the full length