| Ballaugh Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 54°18′34.8″N4°32′29.2″W / 54.309667°N 4.541444°W Coordinates: 54°18′34.8″N4°32′29.2″W / 54.309667°N 4.541444°W |
| Built | c. 1739 |
  Location of Ballaugh Bridge in Isle of Man | |
Ballaugh Bridge [1] 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.
Ballaugh Bridge is a hump-backed road bridge over the Ravensdale River, [2] located in the village of Ballaugh.
Ballaugh Bridge was part of the 52.15 mile Highland Course (amended to 40.38 miles in 1906 [3] ) and the 37.50 Mile Four Inch Course used for automobile racing including the 1904 Gordon Bennett Trial and the RAC Tourist Trophy car races held between 1905 and 1922. [4]
It was also the western edge of the Sandygate Loop for the 1904 Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial and the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles. The 1906 Tourist Trophy Race used the Short Highroads Course, with the abandonment of the Sandygate Loop in favour of the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road from Ballacraine corner to Ramsey.
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. This included Ballaugh Bridge [5] and the course later became known as the 37.73 mile 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. [6]
The Bridge was subject to road widening and reprofiling during the winter of 1953/1954 for the 1954 Isle of Man TT races including the removal of a garden wall [7] of the adjacent Ballaugh Railway Hotel (now the Raven Hotel). [8] Ballaugh Bridge is the only remaining hump-backed bridge on the TT Course after the removal of Sulby Bridge in the 1920s and Ballig Bridge in 1935. [9]
Located near to Ballaugh Bridge is a road-side memorial to Karl Gall, a member of the pre-war works BMW motor-cycle team [10] who died from injuries suffered after crashing near to the bridge during evening practice for the 1939 Isle of Man TT races. [11] [12]
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.
The 11th Milestone, Isle of Man 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.
Barregarrow is a district located between the 13th milestone and 14th milestones on the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road including the area of the Barregarrow cross-road junction and the C4 Ballaleigh Road and B10 Sartfield (Brandywell) or former Barregarrow mountain gate road in the parish of Kirk Michael in the Isle of Man.
Highroads Course was a road-racing circuit used for the Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial held in the Isle of Man for the 1904 and 1905 Tourist Trophy Race involving touring automobiles and cars. The events were held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald.
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 situated adjacent to the 17th milestone of the TT course, on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the Isle of Man.
Ballig is a small hamlet of a few houses situated between the 8th and 9th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course between Ballacraine and Glen Helen. It is the site of a former notorious hump-back bridge used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey and the road junction with the A20 Poortown Road in the parish of 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.
Gorse Lea is situated between the 6th Milestone and 7th Milestones on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road in the parish of German 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.
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.
Quarry Bends is situated adjacent to the 20th Milestone road-side marker on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey, in the parishes of Ballaugh and Kirk Christ Lezayre 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.