Douglas, Isle of Man
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Template:GBdot Douglas (Doolish in Manx) is the capital of the Isle of Man and its largest town. It is the Island's hub for shipping, transport, shopping and entertainment. It is the home of the Island's government and its finance centre.
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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 a bay on the east coast of the Island at the confluence of two rivers - the Dhoo and the Glass. A gently sloping valley runs inland. Hills are to the north-west and south-east.
The town is surrounded by several other smaller towns and villages, most notaby Onchan to the north (which forms a conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west.
History
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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).
Attractions
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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 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 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.
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 1870's. Douglas is becoming increasingly renowned as it saw the first architectural essays of the Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott.de:Douglas (Insel Man) io:Douglas