No names listed; First World War. 2 sandstone plaques set into and next to each other within a walled semi-circle behind a sandstone 3 tiered column. Sandstone cross in centre. Bronze sword on front face of cross.
Information provided by the Isle of Man Government Preservation of War Memorials Committee. Image courtesy of Chris Blyth, Isle of Man Photographic Society.
The Douglas Borough War Memorial on Harris Promenade stands fifty feet high on the site of a former bandstand, comprising a stepped stone base and a tall column of Manx granite topped by a bronze figure of a soldier, set within a railed flower garden. It was designed by the architect Ewart Crellin, with carving executed by Harry Hems & Co, and cost around £3,000, raised by public subscription; the design was approved and subscriptions were being collected as reported in 1922, with the memorial unveiled by Lord Derby on 29 May 1924. The names of Douglas's First World War dead are recorded on slate plaques on the base, with a lower plaque of 1939-45 names added later, and a small bronze plaque added afterwards for two further names.
866 names listed alphabetically; First World War; Second World War, and Aden (1966). There is a statue of a service man in full kit standing on top of column. On the west face there is a laurel wreath above main inscription and a gold cross near the top of the column. On the east face there is a cross in stonework near top of column, corresponding with the gold cross on west face. Originally 4 flowers in bronze were provided on each face. Two were removed because of damage from east face and one was broken off the north face. Names are on slate plaques on each face; 1914-18 are the higher plaques, 1939-45 was attached lower later, the names are picked out in white paint. Two names on a small bronze plaque were added to the west face: 1 Aden 1996; 1 France 1918.
The memorial was unveiled by Lord Derby on 29 May 1924. The memorial was sponsored by public subscription. The architect was Ewart Crellin, Douglas. The sculptor was Harry Hemms & Sons, of Exeter and Thomas Quayle, Douglas. An extract from the Ramsey Courier & Northern Advertiser, 13 June 1924, reads: 'The Committee of the recently-unveiled Douglas War Memorial are issuing an appeal for subscriptions towards the cost of the memorial. The approximate total cost is £3,275 and the amount received to date is £2,772, leaving a sum of £503 yet to be raised. Subscriptions may be forwarded to:- The Mayor of Douglas, Chairman of the General Committee; Mr. R.D. Farrant, High Bailiff, Chairman of the Executive Committee; Mr. A. Robertson, Town Hall, Secretary to the General Committee; Mr. Thos. Cubbon, Isle of Man Bank, Hon. Treasurer.'
Douglas Borough Cemetery on Glencrutchery Road contains a war memorial along with numerous individual First World War graves and grave additions recorded by the Imperial War Museum's War Memorials Register. Beyond its role as the city's principal cemetery, adjoining the TT course start/finish area, no further verifiable detail about the memorial's design, unveiling date or inscriptions could be confirmed from available sources.
A post-medieval chapel in Douglas. Could not be identified as a specific named chapel distinct from the other Douglas chapel/church records at this coordinate; no source found describes a second, separate "Douglas Chapel".
A 19th century Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Douglas. Could not identify the specific named chapel (e.g. Rosemount, Victoria Street); no Wikipedia or other reachable source names a Wesleyan/Methodist chapel in Douglas matching this record.
A post-medieval church in Douglas. Likely predecessor to the Chapel of St Matthew - Wikipedia's Douglas article notes the mastership of Douglas Grammar School continued to be combined with the Chaplaincy, "now of the new Chapel of St Matthew", implying St Matthew's succeeded an earlier chapel/church as the harbour-area place of worship. No build date or further detail was retrievable.
The Douglas Court House is a three storey building of cement rendered masonry which constitutes the north east corner of the intersection of Athol and Church Streets. The main entrance on Athol Street is marked by 4 Corinthian columns and their related podium. Beneath the columns the actual doorway treatment is somewhat obscure. The entire facade is characterised by this continued refinement on the first and second floors superimposed on a rather heavy and unrelated handling of the ground floor (pilaster columns of the upper floor are not always located above their equivalent column on the ground floor). In spite of this the corner is carefully detailed. No interior inspection has been made. The exterior of the building has been recently renovated. The adjacent properties have been 'annexed' as an extension of the present use but do not add to the architectural impact of the building.
The site of the 19th century gas works at South Quay, Douglas, known to have been operation in 1836 and shown on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map.
Wooden painted plaque, with painted lettering. The plaque was originally on display at the Douglas Grammar School. The school closed in 1920 its functions being taken over by the Eastern District Secondary School. The plaque was acquired by the Manx Museum and National Trust in 1976.
Information provided by the Isle of Man Government Preservation of War Memorials Committee.
Bronze Age axehead.
A heavily corroded bronze axehead was found while digging a gas pipeline trench in 1979.
The findspot was approximately opposite the entrance to Raven's Cliff entrance, to which the grid reference relates.
The axe is of a narrow-bladed, flat-axe type, with a narrow butt, slightly convex sides, and an expanded cutting edge. No original surface is preserved and only an approximate outline survives. It is 117mm long, 45mm across the cutting edge, and the butt is 20mm across. On typological grounds it has been suggested that it dates to approximately 1650-1500BC.
The object is in the Manx National Heritage collections, accession no. 1979-0004.
Douglas Head Apartments occupies the site of the former Douglas Head Hotel, whose distinctive tower was incorporated into the hotel building in 1869. The hotel was converted into residential apartments in 1992, and the historic tower remains a visible feature of the complex today. The building enjoys a prominent clifftop position near Douglas Head Lighthouse and the Camera Obscura, with wide views over Douglas Bay and the town.
Modern gun battery.
A gun battery was constructed on Douglas Head in early 1797, as part of a wider response to the threat posed by foreign privateers to the Island's coastline and its shipping.
The battery appears to have been designed as one of several placed around Douglas Bay to provide interlocking fields of fire from one end of the bay to the other.
The Douglas Head battery was designed to accommodate two guns, which are still present in a subsequent inventory of 1803, although the platform on which they were stood was considered unserviceable.
In 1813 work commenced on new batteries around the Island's coast, and the Douglas Head site was completed in 1815. By 1821 this had been re-equipped with two new cannon mounted on traversing rails. These guns were amongst the few left in place when the Island was otherwise stripped of its ordnance in 1822. Part of the parapet of the gun emplacement, a barbette of similar design to that constructed at Peel Castle, is still present.
This battery was in turn superceded by the construction of a replacement slightly to the east in 1861, the earthwork parapet of which is that shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8. The battery is variously described as being armed with two or four guns, and its timber construction to resemble the deck of a warship. An undated photograph in the Manx National Heritage collections (pg/7888/58) shows part of the battery with three cannon present; the walls of the older barbette are apparent in the background.
The battery was soon rendered obsolete by advances in naval gunnery, and from 1870 the local gunners received their training in Liverpool.
Modern gun battery.
A gun battery was constructed on Douglas Head in early 1797, as part of a wider response to the threat posed by foreign privateers to the Island's coastline and its shipping.
The battery appears to have been designed as one of several placed around Douglas Bay to provide interlocking fields of fire from one end of the bay to the other.
The Douglas Head battery was designed to accommodate two guns, which are still present in a subsequent inventory of 1803, although the platform on which they were stood was considered unserviceable.
The precise location of this battery is unknown, and it was replaced in 1815.
Modern gun battery.
A gun battery was first constructed on Douglas Head in early 1797, as part of a wider response to the threat posed by foreign privateers to the Island's coastline and its shipping.
The battery appears to have been designed as one of several placed around Douglas Bay to provide interlocking fields of fire from one end of the bay to the other.
Work on its replacement commenced in 1813 and was completed two years later, the earlier structure having been condemned as unserviceable in 1803. By 1821 the battery had been re-equipped with two new cannon mounted on traversing rails. These guns were amongst the few left in place when the Island was otherwise stripped of its ordnance in 1822. Part of the parapet of the gun emplacement, a barbette of similar design to that constructed at Peel Castle, is still present; the western half has been destroyed by quarrying.
An undated photograph in the Manx National Heritage collections (pg/7888/58) shows the walls of the older barbette in the background, with the new battery, commissioned to replace it in 1861, in the foreground.
