Tower of Refuge

The Tower of Refuge is a cast-iron structure erected to give suitable refuge for marines stranded on rocks on St Mary's Island (also known as Conister Rock) in Douglas Bay, Isle of Man. Sir William Hillary, was instrumental in a number of rescues of sailors trapped on rocks, culminating in the heroic rescue of the crew of the steamship RMS. St George of the Saint George Steam Company, which was founded on the rock in the early hours of November 20, 1830, was responsible for the construction of the tower. Sir William personally provided a large chunk of the cost and was able to get a significant amount of public funding for the project.

The first stone was placed by Sir William on April 23, 1832, in the presence of Archdeacon Benjamin Philpot, Member of the House of Keys, and many other notable Douglas inhabitants. It was designed by renowned local architect John Welch of the firm Hansom & Welch. The construction is designed in the style of a 13th-century castle, with balustrades and hanging corks similar to those found at Rushen Castle and Peel Castle. The tower originally had a bell to call for rescue, as well as provisions for any shipwrecked passengers, such as bread and soft beverages. Another proposal was to build a small boat with living quarters built into the framework, but this was abandoned.

King William College and the Smelt Memorial are two more notable structures constructed by Welch on the Isle of Man. On May 9, 1932, commemorations of the Asylum Tower's construction were conducted. Sir Godfrey Baring, then President of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, paid a visit to the Isle of Man as a guest of Lieutenant Colonel Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Claude Hill. The Douglas Missile Brigade and Lifeboats were also part of the celebration, which concluded in an evening at the Gaiety Theatre.

Location: St Mary's Isle, Douglas Bay, Isle of Man