Douglas, The Isle of Man, United Kingdom

Early history | Growth and development | Seafaring links | Recent history | Geography | Transport | Landmarks | Sport

🇮🇲 Douglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man. It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of two miles. The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbour and main commercial port.

Douglas 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, and finally the seat of the legislature, Tynwald, to Douglas from the ancient capital, Castletown.

The town 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.

Early history In the absence of any archaeological data, the origins of the town may be revealed by analysis of the original street and plot pattern. The discovery of a bronze weapon in central Douglas, and 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 town 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 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 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 town's nucleus originated as a non-urban port. Speculation links the store buildings with the Irish Sea herring fishery, and the import/export trade.

Growth and development 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 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 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 town 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Seafaring links The earliest organised ferry services emerged between Douglas and Whitehaven, established by William Nicholson in 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 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 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 in 1832 he established the Tower of Refuge.

Recent history During the First and Second World Wars, Douglas and other parts of the Isle of Man were home to internment camps for "enemy aliens". Douglas held seven out of 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 the main shopping centre.

The town 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 later in 2022.

Geography Douglas is on the east of 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 town. The town is surrounded by several villages, most notably Onchan to the north-east (which forms a conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west.

Transport Douglas is the hub of the island's bus network, with regular services to Port Erin, Peel and Ramsey, as well as various local bus services. The town 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.

Landmarks Douglas has a number of attractions and items of interest: • The Tower of Refuge is a small castle-like shelter built upon Conister Rock in Douglas Bay as a sanctuary for shipwrecked sailors. Construction was instigated by Sir William Hillary, founder of the RNLI. • Douglas Head is home to the Grand Union Camera Obscura which has recently undergone restoration and is open to the public during the summer months. Other artefacts and remnants of Victorian Tourism can still be found on walks around the area. • 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 15 miles from Douglas railway station to Port Erin in the south of the Island. • The Grandstand on Glencrutchery Road marks the start and finish of the annual TT Races and various other motorsports. • 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. Both venues have recently undergone extensive renovations. • The award-winning Manx Museum in Kingswood Grove contains many of the most important cultural artefacts relating to the Manx nation. Highlights include the Calf of Man Crucifixion 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. • The Jubilee clock is a street clock built in 1887 to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. It is located at the foot of Victoria Street and Loch Promenade. The location also marked the lower terminus of the Upper Douglas Cable Tramway • Other buildings of interest include Isola restaurant, in John Street, and the Douglas Hotel, on the North Quay, both merchants' houses from the mid-18th century; the Castle Mona (formerly the Quality Hotel), a seaside mansion built by John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl in 1804, awaiting refurbishment; and the Loch Promenade, a curving terrace of former boarding houses dating from the 1870s. Douglas saw the first architectural essays of the Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott. • The breakwater extension was built outside the existing smaller one, which carried a rail-mounted crane. It was completed in 1983 and opened by Princess Alexandra. • The Sunken Gardens on Loch Promenade were created as a result of the widening of the promenade at the turn of the 20th century. A construction line was installed for this task.

Sport 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 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, a multi-use stadium located on Pulrose Road is owned by Douglas Borough Council.

Douglas Promenade, Isle of Man 
Douglas Promenade, Isle of Man
Image: Adobe Stock Paul #362370138

Douglas is the #93 city in the world according to the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) which evaluates and ranks the competitiveness of the major financial centres of the world according to a wide range of criteria – Human Capital, Business, Finance, Infrastructure and Reputation.

Douglas has a population of over 27,938 people. Douglas also forms part of the wider Isle of Man Dependency which has a population of over 83,314 people. Douglas is ranked #992 for startups with a score of 0.064.

To set up a UBI Lab for Douglas see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns - Sister Cities Douglas has links with:

🇮🇪 Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license | GFCI | StartupBlink

  • Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott |

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Architect/Furniture Designer Mackay Hugh (M.H.) Baillie Scott is associated with Douglas. From 1883 to 1885 he studied Scientific Farming and Estate Management at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

  • William Alban Jones |

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Architect William Alban Jones is associated with Douglas. In the 1890s he drew cartoons for the Yorkshire journal 'Around the Town' as 'Silam'.

  • Frank Matcham |

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Architect Frank Matcham is associated with Douglas. He designed, redesigned and refurbished over 150 theatres and venues throughout Britain.

Antipodal to Douglas is: 175.518,-54.145

Locations Near: Douglas -4.482,54.145

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Holyhead -4.633,53.309 d: 93.5  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Whitehaven -3.586,54.548 d: 73.4  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Bangor -4.128,53.228 d: 104.6  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Workington -3.555,54.637 d: 81.2  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Conwy -3.83,53.281 d: 105.2  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Colwyn Bay -3.7,53.29 d: 108.1  

🇮🇪 Downpatrick -5.703,54.325 d: 81.8  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Barrow-in-Furness -3.226,54.111 d: 81.9  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Barrow in Furness -3.226,54.111 d: 81.9  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Dumfries -3.603,55.071 d: 117.5  

Antipodal to: Douglas 175.518,-54.145

🇳🇿 Dunedin 170.474,-45.884 d: 19028.9  

🇳🇿 Invercargill 168.373,-46.413 d: 19017.7  

🇳🇿 Christchurch 172.617,-43.517 d: 18814.6  

🇳🇿 Canterbury 171.58,-43.543 d: 18802  

🇳🇿 Queenstown 168.658,-45.033 d: 18888.9  

🇳🇿 Wellington 174.767,-41.283 d: 18583.8  

🇳🇿 Hutt 174.917,-41.217 d: 18576.8  

🇳🇿 Lower Hutt 174.917,-41.217 d: 18576.8  

🇳🇿 Upper Hutt 175.05,-41.133 d: 18567.8  

🇳🇿 Richmond 173.183,-41.333 d: 18580  

Bing Map

Option 1