Douglas, Isle of Man
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Douglas (Doolish in Manx) is the capital of the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin) and its largest town. It is the Island's hub for business, finance, shipping, transport, shopping and entertainment. It is also home of the Isle of Man Government.
Demographics
Douglas has a population of 25,347 people (according to the 2001 census), which is almost one-third of the Isle of Man's entire population.
Geography
Douglas is situated on the east of the island near the confluence point of two rivers, the Dhoo and the Glass, from which it derives its name. At Douglas, the rivers flow through the quay and into Douglas Bay. A gently sloping valley runs inland. Hills lie to the north-west and south-east.
The town is surrounded by several other smaller towns and villages, most notably Onchan to the north (which forms a conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west.
History
The initial growth and development of the town owed much to its natural harbour, (now the Inner Harbour), since greatly expanded and improved. The burgeoning 'Running Trade' (smuggling) from 1670 to 1765 gave a stimulus for the town to expand. There were later phases of prosperity, the first due to the low cost of living, and favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and half pay officers. Later, from around 1870 onwards, the town was transformed into a leading holiday resort, and is now a home to the Offshore Financial Services Industry.
Douglas has been capital of the Isle of Man since 1863, an honour previously held by Castletown, a smaller town in the south of the Island.
Tynwald, the Manx Parliament, meets in Douglas (except on Tynwald Day, when it instead meets on Tynwald Hill in St John's - a small village near the west coast of the island).
During World War I and World War II, Douglas and other parts of the Isle of Man were home to internment camps for 'enemy aliens'. A section of the Promenade was cordened off and many guest houses were used for this purpose.
In 2011 Douglas is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Attractions
Douglas has a number of minor tourist attractions:
- The Tower of Refuge is a very small castle built upon Conister Rock in Douglas Bay as a sanctuary for shipwrecked sailors. It was constructed by Sir William Hillary, founder of the RNLI.
- The horse-drawn trams that run along the promenade from the Sea Terminal to the Manx Electric Railway station from spring to early autumn. Steam trains run south from Douglas railway station during the same time of year.
- The TT Grandstand marks the start and finish of the annual TT Races
- The Gaiety Theatre and the Villa Marina are popular venues for all manner of stage acts - from rock music to comedy to drama to ballet. The Gaiety Theatre is one of the best surviving examples of the work of Frank Matcham and dates from 1900.
- The award-winning Manx Museum in Kingswood Grove is a treasure house which contains many of the most important cultural artifacts relating to the Manx nation. Some of the highlights include the Calf of Man Crucifiction Stone, the Pagan Lady's necklace from the Viking excavations at Peel Castle, and the largest collection of Archibald Knox materials. It also houses the National Art Collection, and the National Archives.
- Other interesting buildings include La Locanda restaurant, in John Street, and the Douglas Hotel, on the North Quay, both merchants' houses from the mid-eighteenth century; The Castle Mona [Quality Hotel], a magnificent seaside mansion built by John Murrey, 4th Duke of Athol in 1804; and the Loch Promenade, a magnificent curving terrace of former boarding houses dating from the 1870s. Douglas is becoming increasingly renowned as it saw the first architectural essays of the Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott.
References
- [Manxnotebook - Douglas] with full description of the town-parish
- [Isle of Man Building Control Districts] showing parish boundaries
- [Glenology - Manx Glens]. An ongoing study of Manx glens, their locations and meanings.
External link
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