St Mary's Isle at extremely low water, Douglas, Isle of Man

St Mary's Isle (Conister Rocks or Tower of Refuge) is part of a reef in the Isle of Man. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

Conister is a corruption of the Manx Kione y skeyr meaning the 'end of the reef'.

It is a partially submerged rock at the tip of a reef in Douglas Bay. This reef is mostly obscured now by development into the sea, using the reef as a foundation. Location within the British Isles Douglas (Doolish in Manx) is the capital of the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin) and its largest town. ...

Conister itself is fully submerged at exceptional spring high tides, and can be accessed very briefly on foot at the corresponding low tides.

The Tower of Refuge

The Tower of Refuge is the structure built upon it by Sir William Hillary (who helped to found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution) in 1824. Having witnessed several shipwrecks upon the semi-submerged rock, he intended it as a refuge for survivors until help could arrive. He helped secure public contributions for funding the building and contributed a high proportion of the costs personally. The islet itself was privately owned, but was contributed by its owner. Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was an English soldier, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1824. ... Swanage lifeboat being winched up its slipway The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

The refuge is designed to look like a castle, by architect John Welch (also responsible for the design of other landmark buildings on the Isle of Man). The tower originally housed a bell for summoning of help and was stocked with dry provisions for the use of casualties. It is not far from the current ferry terminal and its eastern base (the Conister Shoals) had to be blasted away when the harbour had a new breakwater built in the early 1980s. For other uses, see Castle (disambiguation). ... An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ...

External links

• Picture at a very high tide
• Picture of St Mary's Isle at extremely low water
• History of the Tower of Refuge
• Brief history of the Tower of Refuge