Gloccamorra Apartments - Douglas Head - Douglas, Isle of Man
Posted by: Mike_bjm
N 54° 08.567 W 004° 28.085
30U E 404100 N 6000403
This modern abstract sculpture can be found at the rear of the Gloccamorra Apartments on Douglas Head.
Waymark Code: WMX7PA
Location: Isle of Man
Date Posted: 12/09/2017
Views: 2
This modern abstract sculpture can be found at the rear of the Gloccamorra Apartments on Douglas Head it a stylised representation of the Warwick Tower, which was formally situated on the headland and the Marine Drive which passes the building on its way along the cliffs to the south.
The striking sculpture is probably made of metal and is painted black. There is no readily available information on who was responsible for the design or who made it.
The Warwick Tower was a 150ft iron tower with a revolving observation platform capable of seating 200. It was built in1899 and named for Thomas Warwick, a London Engineer, who held the UK concession for the design. The tower had a steam powered lift which took visitors up to the platform. The revolving platform was electrically powered.
The tower was badly damaged by a fire in August 1900 which destroyed the surrounding buildings, however, the tower survived being turned into a ‘whirligig’ (fairground roundabout) with boats suspended on long chains. There was a second fire in 1906 which damaged the tower this time terminally and it was finally demolished in March 1907.
In 2012 building works at the Isle of Man’s public service radio station ‘ Manx Radio’ uncovered the charred foundations of a the tower.
The Marine Drive was built to carry the Douglas South Electric Tramway.
Douglas Southern Electric Tramway was a tramway which ran between Douglas Head and Port Soderick. The tramway opened in 1896 and closed at the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, although the track remained in place until the 1950’s. The route was then used as a roadway until the 1960’s but a number of landslides resulted in the road being deemed unsafe for vehicles. The central section of the route can be used by pedestrians, however, and provides spectacular views especially on a bright summer’s day.
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