Work progresses on Tower of Refuge

Stabilization and restoration work is continuing on the historic Tower of Refuge.

An item broadcast on Manx Radio several months ago, raising concerns about the Tower's condition, prompted a discussion on who owned and was responsible for its up keep.

The first reaction was that it belonged to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, whose founder, Sir William Hillary, had initiated its construction. The Tower, designed by local architect, John Welch, was completed in 1832. However, the RNLI said it didn't belong to them, as did Douglas Corporation.

Eventually it was established that the Tower belongs to the IOM Government and responsibility for it has been given to the Department of Transport.

John Clayton, of the DOT, informed the Manx Herald that they had commissioned a structural survey which had identified 'significant faults' with the structure.

Emergency repairs were conducted, where holes had appeared in the walls, last year in advance of a "rolling programme of maintenance for a year or so."

Mr Clayton said that the Department had "worked out what to do and how to do it" but a problem remained as to how to get materials and scaffolding etc out to the Conister Rock.

So what the Department has been working on recently is excavating a channel to enable a boat to get close to the Tower.

The inside of the Tower has now been scaffolded and work on the inside will progress this year. The outside will then receive attention next year.

Hopefully, once all the work is completed, the iconic landmark should be ready for another 175 years of life.