Ramsey, Isle of Man
Coordinates: 54°19′16″N 4°23′04″W / 54.321111°N 4.384444°W
| Ramsey | |
| Manx: Rhumsaa | |
 Looking south across Mooragh Park to Ramsey |
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 Ramsey
Ramsey shown within the Isle of Man |
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| Population | 7,309 (2006 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SC449943 |
| - Douglas | 15 miles (24 km) |
| Parish | Ramsey |
| Sheading | Ayre |
| Crown dependency | Isle of Man |
| Post town | ISLE OF MAN |
| Postcode district | IM8 |
| Dialling code | 01624 |
| Police | Isle of Man |
| Fire | Isle of Man |
| Ambulance | Isle of Man |
| House of Keys | Ramsey Town |
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Ramsey (Manx: Rhumsaa) is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census (7,322, 2001 census). It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of the main points of communication with Scotland. Ramsey has also been a route for several invasions by Vikings and Scots.
Ramsey is also known as 'Royal Ramsey' due to royal visits from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1847 followed by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1907. [1]
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Climate and geography[edit]
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 of the Manx hills, on the edge of the Northern Plain of the Island. Any clouds coming from the prevailing south-west tend to lose any rain on the hills before they reach Ramsey.
Ramsey is built on sand and so has miles of sandy beaches.
History and features[edit]
The name of the town derives from the Old Norse hrams-á, meaning "wild-garlic river".[2]
The Isle of Man has been an important strategic location in battles 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 for the Viking warrior Godred Crovan in or about the year 1079: he was determined to subjugate the island and make it his kingdom. Two miles inland, on Sky Hill, an important battle was fought: this resulted in two hundred years of Viking rule, influencing the development of the Manx nation and many of the traditions that continue today.
Godred's son, King Olaf, was murdered by his own nephew Reginald near Ramsey harbour in 1154 (Olaf I Godredsson).
On 17 May 1313 Robert the Bruce landed at Ramsey 'with a multitude of ships', on his way to capturing Castle Rushen.
Captain François Thurot, a 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.
The Albert Tower was built to commemorate the royal visit of Prince Albert on 20 September, 1847. Prince Albert climbed to the top of the hill where he viewed the town of Ramsey and the northern plain. The hill was renamed Albert Mount and a year later the tower's foundation was laid. The tower is made of granite and rises 45 feet (14 m) high, and stands as a landmark not only for the town of Ramsey, but also for the north of the Isle of Man. [3] There is a public pathway leading up the hill for people to visit the tower.
Pirate radio station Radio Caroline North was based in Ramsey Bay from 1964-68 and supplied with provisions from Ramsey.
Ramsey hosts the northern terminus for the Manx Electric Railway and is the start of the mountain section of the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races held annually on the island. A popular vantage point is Ramsey Hairpin where many enthusiasts gather to watch the racers.
The Millennium Way footpath ends a mile from the centre of the town on the A3 road at the foot of Sky Hill.
Mooragh Park, on the north side of the Sulby river from the town centre, is a large 19th century park with a boating lake where boats are available for hire. It was originally part of a salt marsh but was purchased and created by the town to encourage visitors. Mooragh Park has several attractions; there is a small water park and two cafes. There is also a children's play park.
The town boasts several sports clubs including Ramsey Rugby Club, Ramsey Football Club and Ramsey Youth Centre Football Club as well as a hockey team, a Gaelic football 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's original swimming pool building was located in the main part of the town until 2010 when it was converted into a Ten-pin bowling alley.[4] The new Northern Swimming Pool opened in January 2009 on the Mooragh Promenade north of the Sulby river.[5]
Another distinctive landmark of the town is the Queen's Pier, an iron pier which was built in 1886. It has been closed for many years due to health and safety concerns (but subject to many re-opening appeals). It was served by its own tramway. Queen Victoria landed here in 1847, when heavy seas made it impossible to enter Douglas Harbour. Recovering from seasickness Victoria remained on the Royal Yacht, leaving Prince Albert to venture ashore. The Queens Pier has had some renovation work, but is still not considered safe for visitors.
In 2007 the Council of Ministers Working Group, considering the future of Queen’s Pier, issued a questionnaire to the public as the first stage of its consultation on the issue of the future of the pier. The questionnaire was mailed to 3,200 randomly selected addresses, 1,800 in Ramsey and 1,400 in the rest of the island. It sought respondents’ views on a range of possible options, from doing nothing to restoration funded by commercial development. Analysis of the results is ongoing.
The local authority is the Ramsey Town Commissioners. Ramsey is also a House of Keys constituency electing 2 MHKs.
Industry and Commerce[edit]
Ramsey has a small shipyard, two bakeries and some small industrial workshops. The main street has numerous independent shops, including traditional butcher's, baker's and fishmonger's. Two notable and idiosyncratic traders are Feltons ironmongers and hardware store, and Shakti Mann Fairtrade shop. This is one of the biggest and busiest Fair Trade clothing, home goods and gift shops in the British Isles.
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If you look to the upper right of this photo, Ramsey and the Ramsey Bay shore appear as a curve
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Ramsey station on the Manx Electric Railway with train for Douglas
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Queen's Pier in October 2010
MHKs & Elections[edit]
| Year | Election | Turnout | Candidates | Elected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1867 |
General Election |
? |
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| 1875 |
General Election |
? |
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| 1881 |
General Election |
? |
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| 1901 |
By Election |
? |
|
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| 1903 |
General Election |
? |
|
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| 1929 |
General Election |
? |
|||
| 1934 |
General Election |
? |
|
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| 1946 |
General Election |
? |
? |
|
|
| 1951 |
General Election |
? |
? |
|
|
| 1956 |
General Election |
? |
? |
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2 MHKs now elected for Ramsey. Had been 1 since first election in 1867. |
| 1962 |
General Election |
? |
? |
|
|
| 1981 |
General Election |
? |
? |
|
|
| 1984 |
By Election |
? |
? |
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| 1986 |
General Election |
66% |
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|
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| 1991 |
General Election |
70.6% |
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| 1996 |
General Election |
66.5% |
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| 2001 |
General Election |
66% |
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The two sitting MHK's held their seats. | |
| 2003 |
By Election |
66.5% |
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Following the elevation to the Council of Leonard Singer. |
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| 2006 |
General Election |
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The two sitting MHK's held their seats. |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Ramsey
- ^ Broderick, George (2006), "Place-names of the Isle of Man", in Koch, John T., Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, pp. 679–681, ISBN 1-85109-445-8
- ^ The Albert Tower
- ^ "New bowling alley in Ramsey to open" 6 May, 2011
- ^ Ramsey Town Commissioners website Northern Swimming Pool
External links[edit]
- Information about Ramsey
- Isle of Man Census Report 2011
- Albert Tower
- The Friends of Queen's Pier, Ramsey
- Ramsey Isle of Man
- IOM Govt Council of Ministers Working Group
- BBC Domesday Reloaded - Domesday Reloaded - Overview of Ramsey.
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