Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey
| Isle of Man | |
---|---|---|
Post town | ISLE OF MAN | |
Postcode district | IM8 | |
Dialling code | +44 (0) 1624 / +44 (0) 7624 | |
Police | Isle of Man | |
Fire | Isle of Man | |
Ambulance | Isle of Man | |
House of Keys | Ramsey Town | |
Ramsey (
Ramsey is also known as "Royal Ramsey" due to royal visits by
History
The name of the town derives from the Old Norse hrams-á, meaning "wild garlic river",[4] More specifically, it refers to the plant known as ramsons, buckrams or wild garlic, in Latin Allium ursinum.
The Isle of Man has been an important strategic location in conflicts between the Norse rulers of Man and the Isles, and the Scots and English. Smugglers and pirates were also common at many times in Manx history.
Ramsey was the landing place of the Viking warrior
Godred's son,
On 17 May 1313 Robert the Bruce landed at Ramsey "with a multitude of ships" from the fleet of his friend, Angus Og Macdonald, Lord of the Isles,[5] on his way to capturing Castle Rushen.
Captain François Thurot, a then-famous French privateer, and notorious scourge of the British fleet, was defeated off the north-west of the island in February 1760. His badly damaged, captured ship was brought into Ramsey Bay after the battle. Thurot's actions had been part of a planned French invasion of Britain. In previous years Thurot had traded between Ireland and the Isle of Man and had been well liked by many Manx people, and regarded as an intelligent gentleman. Several cottages and bridges were built using timbers from the wrecked ship: hence Thurot Cottage and Thurot Bridge.
Pirate radio station
During World War II, thirty boarding houses on the North Shore were requisitioned for the Mooragh Internment Camp.
Climate and geography
Ramsey is in the sunniest area of the Isle of Man, with relatively low rainfall. This is because Ramsey is in a 'rain shadow' just to the north-east of the Manx hills, on the edge of the northern plain of the island. Rain clouds coming from the prevailing wind direction, the south-west, tend to lose most of their moisture over the hills before they reach Ramsey.
Ramsey is built mostly on sandy ground and has miles of sandy beaches. To the north of Ramsey the beaches run continuously to the north tip of the island. On the southern edge of Ramsey, at the edge of the hills, are a network of woods and glens: Ballure Walk, Lhergy Frissel and Elfin Glen. The Millennium Way and other paths and roads lead up to and across the upland heath ('the tops' and 'the hills'). The new 'Ramsey Forest' project aims to increase the tree cover in this area and connect areas of woodland.
Transport and infrastructure
Shipping
Ramsey is home to the second busiest port on the island, handling a wide range of general cargo. The port was formerly used as an operating base by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for both cargo and passenger services. The company operated scheduled services to Liverpool and Whitehaven in addition to which during the summer months steamers would call at the Queen's Pier whilst en-route to Douglas from Belfast and Ardrossan.
The port is the headquarters of the local shipping line Mezeron, as it was formerly for the Ramsey Steamship Company, until it ceased trading in 2014.[6]
Buses
Ramsey serves as the main terminus for the northern network of
Rail
At one time the town was served by both the
Ramsey is also the northern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway. Initially linking Douglas to Laxey, the line from Laxey to Ramsey was opened on 2 August 1898[7] by the Lieutenant Governor, John Henniker-Major, 5th Baron Henniker. At that date the line ran as far as Ballure, on the outskirts of Ramsey. The final extension to the centre of Ramsey was opened on 24 July 1899.
Air
For a period between 1935 and 1937 Hall Caine Airport just outside the town operated scheduled air services to English, Scottish and Irish airports. Both Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine's sons, Gordon Hall Caine and Derwent Hall Caine, were particularly keen on the development of an aerodrome on the site, as they saw it as another memorial to their late father. They also wished to involve the Ramsey town commissioners in the project, as they felt the aerodrome would bring immense benefit to the town.[8] Hall Caine Airport officially came into being on 30 April 1935.
Scheduled services proved successful in 1935 and 1936, with
The Ramsey Ratepayers Association petitioned the
Piloted by Capt. McGeow, the final commercial flight from Hall Caine Airport departed at 4:15 pm on Saturday, 2 October 1937.[14][15]
Sights
The
Mooragh Park, on the north side of the Sulby river, is a 19th-century park with a large boating lake where boats (canoes, pedaloes etc) are available for hire. It was originally part of a salt marsh but was purchased and developed by the town to encourage visitors. Mooragh Park has a small water park, two cafés, a BMX club, skate park, tennis courts, basketball area, outdoor exercise equipment, and a children's playground. The park is mostly on the level and has disabled toilets.
Ramsey's original swimming pool in the town centre was converted into a ten-pin bowling alley in 2010.[16] The new Northern Swimming Pool opened in January 2009 on the Mooragh Promenade.[17]
The
Another distinctive landmark of the town is the Queen's Pier, an iron pier which was built in 1886. It is about 650 metres or 700 yards long. As well as recreational purposes, the pier had a landing stage for visiting ships. It has been closed for many years due to health and safety concerns, although subject to many re-opening appeals. It had its own
The Grove Museum of Victorian Life (Manx National Heritage) is located in the northern suburbs on the A9 (Andreas Road).
Leisure amenities and sport
Among the various leisure venues in Ramsey are a swimming pool, bowling alley, a rural museum (the Grove Museum of Rural Life), and Milntown House at the western edge of the town.
There are several sports clubs, including a
team, Ramsey Ravens swimming team and a golf club. There is an active sailing club, the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club, which promotes an annual Round the Island sailing race as well as regularly scheduled dinghy and cruiser races. Ramsey Angling Club holds regular sea angling competitions.Health and education
Ramsey has a modern junior school, a secondary comprehensive school, and the Ramsey Cottage Hospital.
Places of religious worship
The town has a number of churches, including: Our Lady, Star of the Sea & St Maughold Church and St Paul's.
Industry and commerce
Ramsey has a small shipyard and some small industrial workshops. The main street has a range of independent shops, including a butcher, ironmonger, and shops selling clothes, gifts and homewares. There are pubs, cafes, restaurants and a Farmers' Market every Saturday.
The harbour is used by fishing and small leisure boats, and small freight boats from the Mezeron shipping company. There is a swing bridge for pedestrians and vehicles, built in 1892, that crosses the harbour.
Wildlife and nature
Wildlife around Ramsey reflects the mix of landscape: with sandy coast and
Ramsey Bay was the island's first Marine Nature Reserve, set up to protect fisheries and marine wildlife. The protected area acts as a 'nursery area' for fish and other creatures and plants, which can then move out to restock surrounding areas.
Ramsey shore and estuary provide a feeding area for birds, including
Just south-east of Ramsey, in Maughold, are rugged wooded glens open to the public, and rocky coasts, headlands and beaches, with much of the area accessible by road, footpath, and electric tram.
Inland wildlife areas include Sulby Glen (a rugged grassy glen full of bluebells in spring) and
Wildlife hotspots around Ramsey
Maughold Head
Seals, cormorants, chough, wildfowl and seabirds, coastal wildflowers.
The Ayres/Point of Ayre
Lichen heath, sand-dunes, little terns, Arctic terns, winter migratory geese, divers, gannets, other wildfowl, basking sharks, seals, lizards, various butterflies and moths. Includes the Manx Wildlife Trust[19] Ayres Nature Discovery Centre and Nature Trail.
Music, culture and events
Ramsey has been a centre for the revival of Manx traditional music and culture. 'Shennaghys Jiu' ("Tradition Today") Celtic music festival runs in springtime, usually late March. There are two separate live folk music nights at the Mitre Hotel, on Thursdays (singaround) and Fridays (Irish session).
The busiest times of year are Shennagys Jiu in March, Cyclefest in May, TT fortnight in late May / early June, (especially Ramsey Sprint Day, when thousands of biking fans visit to watch motorbike drag sprints on Mooragh Promenade), Manx Grand Prix/ Manx Classic motorbike race fortnight in late August, Ramsey National Week in early July, with many music and culture events, and 'Ramsey Rocks' held on the Quayside one Friday in summer.
Politics, civic authority and local government
The local authority is the Ramsey Town Commissioners. Ramsey is also a
MHKs and Elections
This information is incomplete.
Year | Election | Turnout | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|
1867 | General Election |
| |
1875 | |||
1881 | |||
[many years] | Mr. Cowell elected (ca. 1900 moved to Red Deer, Alberta)[20] | ||
1901 |
By-Election |
? |
|
1903 |
General Election |
? |
|
1929 |
General Election |
? |
|
1934 |
General Election |
? |
|
1946 |
General Election |
? |
|
1951 | |||
2 MHKs now elected for Ramsey. Had been 1 since first election in 1867. | |||
1956 |
General Election |
? |
|
1962 |
General Election |
? |
|
1981 |
General Election |
? |
|
1984 |
By-Election |
? |
|
1986 |
General Election |
66% |
|
1991 |
General Election |
70.6% |
|
1996 |
General Election |
66.5% |
|
2001 |
General Election |
66% |
|
Following the elevation to the Council of Leonard Singer.
| |||
2003 |
By-Election |
66.5% |
|
2006 |
General Election |
| |
2011 |
General Election |
|
Election results since 2016
In 2014, Tynwald approved recommendations from the Boundary Review Commission which saw the reform of the Island's electoral boundaries.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Vannin | Lawrie Lee Hooper | 1,657 | 26.3 | |
Independent | Alexander John Allinson | 1,557 | 24.7 | |
Independent | Robert Douglas Cowell | 679 | 10.8 | |
Independent | Luke Parker | 664 | 10.5 | |
Independent | Simon Edgar Mann | 555 | 8.8 | |
Independent | Erica Lesley Spencer | 438 | 7.0 | |
Independent | Leonard Ian Singer | 405 | 6.4 | |
Independent | Jonathan David Kinrade | 345 | 5.5 | |
Total votes | 6,300 | |||
Total ballots | 3,367 | |||
Rejected ballots | 4 | |||
Turnout | 3,371 | 53.6 | ||
Registered electors | 6,288 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Alexander John Allinson | 2,946 | 47.1 | |
Liberal Vannin | Lawrie Lee Hooper | 1,471 | 23.5 | |
Independent | Leonard Ian Singer | 886 | 14.2 | |
Independent | Nicholas Lyndon Crowe | 716 | 11.4 | |
Independent | John David McDonough | 236 | 3.8 | |
Total votes | 6,255 | |||
Total ballots | 3,485 | |||
Rejected ballots | 15 | |||
Turnout | 3,500 | 61.1 | ||
Registered electors | 5,726 |
Notable people
- William Gill (1795 in Ramsay – 1858 in Douglas) was a Manx merchant navy officer who served as commanding officer of numerous Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels. Gill was the first recognised captain of the line, retiring with the rank of Commodore
- Andrew Roche (born 1971), road cyclist
- Beckii Cruel (born 1995), businesswoman, YouTuber, singer and dancer
See also
References
- ^ a b "2016 Isle of Man Census Report" (PDF). Gov.im. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ "ILN 30 Aug 1902 - King's Visit to IoM". www.isle-of-man.com.
- ^ Ramsey Courier. Tuesday, 14.03.1905 Page:3
- ISBN 1-85109-445-8
- ^ Crome, Sarah, Scotland's First War of Independence, 1999, at p. 110
- ^ "The Demise of Ramsey SteamShip Company". Archived from the original on 12 October 2019.
- ^ "New Manx Electric Railway". Leeds Mercury. England. 3 August 1898. Retrieved 16 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ The Ramsey Courier. Friday 12 April 1935 p. 9
- ^ Mona's Herald. Tuesday, 25 May 1937; p. 5
- ^ Ramsey Courier. Friday, 21 May 1937; p. 4
- ^ a b Mona's Herald. Tuesday, 25 May 1937; p. 5
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner. Friday, 28 May 1937; p. 14
- ^ Ramsey Courier. Friday, 21 May 1937; p. 4
- ^ Mona's Herald. Tuesday, 5 October 1937; p. 3
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner. Friday, 8 October 1937; p. 14
- ^ "New bowling alley in Ramsey to open" 6 May, 2011
- ^ "Ramsey Town Commissioners website Northern Swimming Pool". Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ The Albert Tower Archived 22 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Homepage | Manx Wildlife Trust". Mwt.im. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Edmonton Bulletin, July 24, 1906, p. 8
- ^ "Notice of Results for the General Election to the House of Keys 2021 (Ramsey)" (PDF). Gov.im. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Isle of Man Election Results 2016" (PDF). Gov.im. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
External links
Media related to Ramsey, Isle of Man at Wikimedia Commons