| 11th Milestone | |
|---|---|
 The tall 'James Garrow' style metal milestone on the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road at 'Drinkwater's Bend.' | |
| Coordinates | 54°14′43″N4°35′48″W / 54.24528°N 4.59667°W |
| Built | 1835–1850 |
  Location of 11th Milestone in Isle of Man | |
The 11th Milestone, Isle of Man [1] (Drinkwater's Bend) [2] is situated adjacent to the 13th Milestone on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road which forms the boundary between the parishes of Kirk German and Kirk Michael in the Isle of Man.
The area is dominated by the Ballamenagh and Shoughlaige-e-Caine farmland. During the 1830s, the primary A3 Road Castletown to Ramsey was re-profiled between Cronk-y-Voddy and Handley's Corner by the local parochial highway surveyor under the former Isle of Man parish board system. This was to avoid marshland and steep inclines creating the distinctive elongated S-bend. [3]
The original stone 11th milestone on the A3 road was sited at the corner café at Glen Helen. An iron milestone [4] from the 1860s during the period of James Garrow as Isle of Man Surveyor-General [5] is now situated at the northerly end of the former 'Drinkwater's Bend' as the 13th Milestone on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road. [6]
The current site of the 11th marker post or 11th Milestone road marker for the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course has been placed at Cronk Bane Farmhouse on the Cronk-y-Voddy straight.
The distinctive elongated S-bend corner of the 11th Milestone section of the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road became part of the 37.50 Mile Four Inch Course for the RAC Tourist Trophy automobile races held in the Isle of Man between 1908 and 1922. [7]
In 1911, the Four Inch Course for automobiles was first used by the Auto-Cycling Union for the Isle of Man TT motor-cycle races. [8] This included the 11th Milestone and the course later became known as the 37.73 mile (60.70 km) Isle of Man TT Mountain Course which has been used since 1911 for the Isle of Man TT Races and from 1923 for the Manx Grand Prix races. [9] [10]
During the 1949 350 cc Junior TT race the popular amateur racer Ben Drinkwater crashed fatally at this point and the corner became known as Drinkwater's Bend, although subsequently the name became partly disused. [11] [12]
On the 5th lap of the 1961 Senior TT Races, Ralph Rensen crashed at the 11th Milestone and later passed away from his injuries. [13]
The corner was subjected to road surface repair work and re-profiling during the winter of 2005/2006 by the Department of Transport.[ citation needed ]
The A18 Snaefell Mountain Road or Mountain Road is a primary main A-road of 13.35 miles (21.48 km) in length which connects the towns of Douglas and Ramsey in the Isle of Man.
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or TT Course is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle TT Course is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the separate event of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT Races held in September of each year. The start-line for the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course is located on Glencrutchery Road in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.
Handley's Corner is situated just before the 12th Milestone road-side marker, measured from the startline at the TT Grandstand, on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT races on the primary A3 road, in the parish of Michael, in the Isle of Man.
Guthrie's Memorial is a S-bend corner between the 26 and 27 mile road-side markers on the primary A18 Snaefell mountain road, part of the Snaefell Mountain Course known mainly for motorcycle racing, situated in the Isle of Man parish of Lezayre.
Parliament Square, Ramsey is situated between the 23rd and 24th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the junction of the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road, the A9 Ramsey to Andreas road and A2 Douglas to Ramsey road situated in the town of Ramsey in the parish of Lezayre in the Isle of Man.
The Four Inch Course was a road-racing circuit first used for the 1908 Tourist Trophy Race for cars, held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald. The name of the course derives from the regulations for the 1908 Tourist Trophy adopted by the Royal Automobile Club, which limited the competitors' engines to a cylinder-diameter of four inches. The Four-Inch Course was adopted by the Auto-Cycle Club for the 1911 Isle of Man TT Races. The Four-Inch Course was subsequently known as the Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course when used for motor-cycle racing.
Rhencullen including Birkin's Bend is adjacent to the 17th milestone of the TT course, on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the Isle of Man.
Laurel Bank is situated between the 10th Milestone and 11th Milestone road-side markers on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road between Ballacraine and Glen Helen in the parish of Kirk German in the Isle of Man.
Sarah's Cottage is situated between the 11th milestone and 12th milestones on Creg Willey’s Hill on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road in the parish of Kirk German in the Isle of Man.
Ballacraine is located between the 7th and 8th milestones of the TT course, at the junction of the A1 Douglas to Peel and A3 Castletown to Ramsey primary roads in the parish of German in the Isle of Man. It is now at the east end of the ribbon development of St. John's village. At the junction is the former public house, the Ballacraine Inn, now a private residence.
Birkin's Bend is situated adjacent to the 17th road milestone on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the Isle of Man.
Glen Helen or Lambfell Glen) is one of a series of eighteen Manx National Glens owned and maintained by the Forestry Amenity and Lands Directorate of the Isle of Man Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.
Creg Willey's Hill, Craig Wyllys, or Creg Willey's is situated close to the 10th milestone road-side marker after Sarah's Cottage on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT races on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the parish of German in the Isle of Man.
Ballaugh Bridge is located on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road and adjacent to the road junctions with the A10 Ballaugh to Ramsey coast road and the tertiary C37 Ballaugh Glen Road in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
Ballacrye is situated adjacent to the 19th Milestone of the TT Course, on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road at the junction with the B9 Ballacrye Road, in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
Cronk Urleigh is a stretch of road situated at the 15th Milestone on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey in the parish of Kirk Michael in the Isle of Man.
Ballacobb is situated between the 16th and 17th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course, on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road at the side-junction with the tertiary U16 Slieu Curn Road, in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
Alpine Cottage including the adjacent Alpine House is situated between the 16th and 17th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
Orrisdale North is situated adjacent the 16th TT Milestone on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road with the nearby junction with the tertiary C19 Orrisdale Loop Road and D13 Bollyn Road in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Man.
Douglas Road Corner or Kirk Michael Corner is situated adjacent the 14th Milestone road-side marker on the Snaefell Mountain Course on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road and the road junction with the A4 Peel to Kirk Michael Coast Road in the parish of Michael in the Isle of Man.