Peel, Isle of Man
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Peel ( – Port of the Island) is a town on the Isle of Man
, in the parish of German
. It is often called the only "city" because it is the home of the island's cathedral
. It is the third largest town on the island after Douglas
and Ramsey
and the fourth largest settlement as Onchan
has the second largest population, though it is classified as a village. Peel is also a House of Keys constituency
, electing one MHK
, who, since 2006, has been Tim Crookall.
. To the north west is St Patrick's Isle
, connected to the mainland by a causeway, and to the west is Peel Hill. The A1 road connects Peel with Douglas. The A3 road connects it with Kirk Michael and Ramsey
. To the south of Peel is Castletown which was the old Isle of Man capital, and to the east is Douglas.
port and Peel Cathedral
is the seat of the Bishop of Sodor and Man
.
Peel is sometimes referred to as the rose red city due to the red sandstone used to build the castle and other important buildings As it is in the west, it is also called the sunset city. Peel is a popular seaside destination for Manx residents and visitors in summer. It has narrow streets of fishermen's cottages and a Victorian
promenade which was built on reclaimed land and a small construction line built for this purpose, as well as sandy beaches. In these respects it closely resembles Padstow
in Cornwall
. Often at least one seal
can be seen in or close to the harbour. For many years the main industries in the town were fishing, trading and shipbuilding
.
There is evidence of local settlers in the Mesolithic
Age on both St Patrick's Isle and the nearby Peel Hill, and Neolithic
farmers are believed to have settled in the area. About 550, a Celtic monastery was founded on St Patrick's Isle.
Norsemen
first came to Mann around the year 800AD, and ruled the Isle for four-and-a-half centuries before finally ceding it to the King of Scotland in 1266.
Norsemen settled in Peel with the harbour on the River Neb used as a shelter for their longship
s. In 1228 Olaf the Black, King of Mann and the Isles, beached his fleet in the inlet. It was attacked and burned by his half-brother Ragnald
. In 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth
, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the Isle of Man to Scotland
. The island came under English control in the 14th century.
The town of Peel developed on the east bank of the river and the settlement was known as Holmtown until the 17th century, with the earliest recorded habitation having been in the 13th century. Further development, apart from the late 19th century guest house building on the sea front, has been inland, away from the coast. Peel Castle would eventually become a joint seat of government with Castle Rushen
until the mid-17th century. The name Peel was given to the castle by the English rulers and the settlement then became Peeltown until about 1860. By the time the local councils
were established in 1883, the name Peel referred to the town rather than the castle. In the 19th century schooner
s built in Peel traded around northwest Europe and Peel fishing boats fished around the island and further afield to the southern coast of Ireland
and near to Shetland. The harbour and breakwater were gradually improved, with much of the local income being from the export of salted herring. By the 1880s, fishing was the main employer with about 3,000 men and boys employed, with ancillary businesses such as shipbuilding providing employment to hundreds more. However, with what is now seen as over-fishing, the number of boats leaving for Ireland
dwindled from 300 in 1880 to a handful by 1915.
After the railway arrived in Peel in 1873, Peel started to develop as a tourist resort, with guest houses and hotels built along the shoreline and headlands, and then the promenade was added. Tourism gradually grew in the town. During World War I
Knockaloe Farm, at Patrick to the south of the town, was made into a internment camp and housed up to 30,000 German
, Austria
n and Turkish
civilians. In 1940, guest houses at one end of the promenade were requisitioned to become Peveril Internment
Camp, housing those suspected of having sympathy for the Nazi regime under Defence Regulation 18B
. By the late 1960s the Peel to Douglas railway line had closed and tourism saw a decline. Fishing from Peel has seen periods of upturn and decline. For a number of years the annual Viking
Festival has attracted visitors to the resort. In 1979 Odin's Raven, the replica of a Viking longship
, sailed from Norway
to Peel to commemorate Manx millennium at the 1000th annual sitting of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald
.In 2005, a new floodgate was installed at Peel to retain the waters of the River Neb
and thus enable the moored boats to float at low tide.
Peel is the birthplace of the Peel microcars made by the Peel Engineering Company
in the 1960s, the only Manx cars ever built.
. The museum covers the past and present of the island and houses Odin's Raven, a two-thirds scale replica of a Viking longship
which had been built in and sailed from Norway, arriving on July 4, 1979 to celebrate the millennium
of the High Court of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. Manx Transportation Museum, which opened in 2002, is housed in the former Brickworks building near to the harbour.
is situated on a small island, St Patrick's Isle
, connected to the town by a causeway. It was built in 1392 by William La Scrope. Peel Centenary Centre is an arts and community centre based at the Centenary Hall.
The Headlands Field has a basketball court, bowling green, a BMX course, a five-a-side pitch and a tennis court.
opened on 1 July 1873, beside the harbour, as the western terminus of the Isle of Man Railway
's Douglas to Peel line. The station closed to passengers on 7 September 1968. The station site is now a car park and boatyard with the station building being used as the House of Mannan Museum.
.
curing. The castle overlooks the entrance to the inner harbour, which is tidal. However a water retention scheme was built in July 2005 with a jetty from East Quay toward West Quay with an automatically operated gate-flap and a pedestrian swingbridge above it. The breakwater has deepwater berths with a lighthouse situated at the end.
Peel Marina is currently under construction at a cost of £3.1 million. 124 new berths are being installed by reclaiming part of the top end of the harbour for a boat park, with construction of a new harbour office.
, are based in Peel. They play their home games at the Peel FC Football Ground, Douglas Road. Formed in 1888, they are the most successful club on the island with 29 league titles and 30 victories in the Manx FA Cup. They were the first winners of the Isle of Man Football League in 1897. Peel Cricket
Club are also based in the town, they are members of the Isle of Man Cricket Association
.
Valkyrs Hockey Club play their home matches at the Queen Elizabeth II High School astro turf pitch. Peel Golf Club is an 18 hole golf course
located on Rheast Lane which was established in 1895. The clubhouse was opened in 1977 by Peter Alliss
. Western Athletics club is based at Queen Elizabeth II School. Western Swimming Pool is located on Derby Road.
The Raad ny Foillan
long distance coastal footpath
opened in 1986 runs along the coast through Peel.
A local person is known as a "Peelite" or ( – dogfish).
Peel Elim Community Church
holds Sunday morning meetings at the Clothworkers' School.
Grace Baptist
Church, founded in 1974 as an outreach of the Grace Baptist Church in Onchan, is located in the former Peel Mathematical School building. It was purchased in 1984 and was renovated in 1997 and is listed as a "heritage building".
Peel Methodist
Church is located in Athol Street. There have been a number of Methodist chapels in Peel. The first one was Shore Road Wesley Methodist Chapel, built in 1777. It was used as a fishing-net factory between the 1850s and 1870s, and is now the Peel Youth Centre. A Primitive Methodist Chapel was built on Kirk Michael Street in 1835. It became a public hall when the Christian Street Chapel opened and is now used,with much redevelopment as a showroom. Peel Centenary Wesley Methodist Chapel was built in 1839 on Athol Street. Peel Primitive Methodist Chapel, built in 1878 it is now converted to flats. The organ is now in Jurby
parish church. The Isle of Man Christian Fellowship are based at the Philip Christian Centre on Christian Street. St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church is on Patrick Street.
is Queen Elizabeth II High School
, which is on Douglas Road at the eastern edge of the town. It was opened on 5 July 1979 by Queen Elizabeth II
, during her visit to the island to celebrate the millennium of Tynwald
, and since then has grown to about 850 pupils with about 50 staff.
Peel Clothworkers' School is a primary school on Derby Road, which was founded in the 17th century after Philip Christian, a successful expatriate Peel businessman, bequeathed a sum of money in his will to provide for the education of the children in Peel. After changing sites in the town a number of times, as it grew and developed, it finally moved to Derby Road after World War II
and officially opened there in 1953. It is the third largest primary school in the Isle of Man. On 23 April 2008 new £3.3m facilities at the school were officially opened. New dining/assembly hall, kitchen, reception/office complex, meeting room, library, special needs unit, ICT suite had all opened in June 2007, while a refurbished sports hall, staff facilities, two more classrooms and a permanent nursery were added in 2008.
Christian's Endowed National School was built in 1860. It was closed for some time in the mid-20th century before it was refurbished and became the Philip Christian Centre, and a registered building.
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Peel ( – Port of the Island) is a town on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, in the parish of German
German (parish)
German is a parish in the sheading of Glenfaba in the Isle of Man. it formerly included Peel, where St German's Cathedral is located. It includes most of the village of St John's , where the Tynwald ceremony is located. It is a mainly hilly area, apart from a small coastal plain near...
. It is often called the only "city" because it is the home of the island's cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. It is the third largest town on the island after Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
and Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
and the fourth largest settlement as Onchan
Onchan
Onchan , is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Although administratively a village, it has the second largest population on the island, after Douglas, with which it forms a conurbation....
has the second largest population, though it is classified as a village. Peel is also a House of Keys constituency
House of Keys Constituencies
-Current constituencies:These were used for the 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 General Elections. The current electoral constituencies for the House of Keys are:-1986 changes:...
, electing one MHK
Member of the House of Keys
Member of the House of Keys, or MHK is the title given to a person who has been elected into the House of Keys, the lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man. There are twenty-four Members of the House of Keys. Elections are held every five years; the last election took place in...
, who, since 2006, has been Tim Crookall.
Geography
Peel is situated on the west coast of the Isle of Man, just east of the mouth of the River NebRiver Neb
The River Neb is one of the principal rivers on the Isle of Man. It rises in the Michael hills, flows SW through Glen Helen to St John's, where it is joined by its principal tributary, the Foxdale River, and then flows NW to the Irish Sea at the town of Peel on the western coast...
. To the north west is St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle is a small island off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, largely occupied by Peel Castle and noted for its attractive and relatively well preserved historic castle ruins. These ruins include St Patrick's Church and an Irish-style round tower, St German's Cathedral, and the more...
, connected to the mainland by a causeway, and to the west is Peel Hill. The A1 road connects Peel with Douglas. The A3 road connects it with Kirk Michael and Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
. To the south of Peel is Castletown which was the old Isle of Man capital, and to the east is Douglas.
Demographics
The Isle of Man census 2006 lists the population as 4,280: an increase of 11.57% from the population of 3,785 in 2001.Governance
The local authority is Peel Town Commissioners who are based at the town hall, Derby Road. There are currently nine commissioners. The day to day activities of the authority are run by the clerk.Town history
Peel has never been the capital of the island. However, Peel is the island's main fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
port and Peel Cathedral
Peel Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint German or Peel Cathedral is located in Peel, Isle of Man. The cathedral is the parish church of the parish of German, which includes the town of Peel, and was built 1879-84. It was made the cathedral by Act of Tynwald in 1980...
is the seat of the Bishop of Sodor and Man
Bishop of Sodor and Man
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
.
Peel is sometimes referred to as the rose red city due to the red sandstone used to build the castle and other important buildings As it is in the west, it is also called the sunset city. Peel is a popular seaside destination for Manx residents and visitors in summer. It has narrow streets of fishermen's cottages and a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
promenade which was built on reclaimed land and a small construction line built for this purpose, as well as sandy beaches. In these respects it closely resembles Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Often at least one seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
can be seen in or close to the harbour. For many years the main industries in the town were fishing, trading and shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
.
There is evidence of local settlers in the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
Age on both St Patrick's Isle and the nearby Peel Hill, and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
farmers are believed to have settled in the area. About 550, a Celtic monastery was founded on St Patrick's Isle.
Norsemen
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
first came to Mann around the year 800AD, and ruled the Isle for four-and-a-half centuries before finally ceding it to the King of Scotland in 1266.
Norsemen settled in Peel with the harbour on the River Neb used as a shelter for their longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...
s. In 1228 Olaf the Black, King of Mann and the Isles, beached his fleet in the inlet. It was attacked and burned by his half-brother Ragnald
Ragnald IV of the Isle of Man
Rögnvaldr Guðrøðarson was a late 12th century and early 13th century sea-king who ruled a kingdom which encompassed the Isle of Man and parts of the Hebrides...
. In 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth
Treaty of Perth
The Treaty of Perth, 1266, ended military conflict between Norway, under King Magnus VI of Norway, and Scotland, under King Alexander III, over the sovereignty of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man....
, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the Isle of Man to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The island came under English control in the 14th century.
The town of Peel developed on the east bank of the river and the settlement was known as Holmtown until the 17th century, with the earliest recorded habitation having been in the 13th century. Further development, apart from the late 19th century guest house building on the sea front, has been inland, away from the coast. Peel Castle would eventually become a joint seat of government with Castle Rushen
Castle Rushen
Castle Rushen is a medieval castle located in the Isle of Man's historic capital, Castletown in the south of the island. It towers over the Market Square to the south-east and the harbour to the north-east...
until the mid-17th century. The name Peel was given to the castle by the English rulers and the settlement then became Peeltown until about 1860. By the time the local councils
Local government in the Isle of Man
Local government in the Isle of Man was formerly based on 6 sheadings, which were divided into 17 parishes...
were established in 1883, the name Peel referred to the town rather than the castle. In the 19th century schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s built in Peel traded around northwest Europe and Peel fishing boats fished around the island and further afield to the southern coast of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and near to Shetland. The harbour and breakwater were gradually improved, with much of the local income being from the export of salted herring. By the 1880s, fishing was the main employer with about 3,000 men and boys employed, with ancillary businesses such as shipbuilding providing employment to hundreds more. However, with what is now seen as over-fishing, the number of boats leaving for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
dwindled from 300 in 1880 to a handful by 1915.
After the railway arrived in Peel in 1873, Peel started to develop as a tourist resort, with guest houses and hotels built along the shoreline and headlands, and then the promenade was added. Tourism gradually grew in the town. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Knockaloe Farm, at Patrick to the south of the town, was made into a internment camp and housed up to 30,000 German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
civilians. In 1940, guest houses at one end of the promenade were requisitioned to become Peveril Internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
Camp, housing those suspected of having sympathy for the Nazi regime under Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B, often referred to as simply 18B, was the most famous of the Defence Regulations used by the British Government during World War II. The complete technical reference name for this rule was: Regulation 18B of the Defence Regulations 1939. It allowed for the internment of...
. By the late 1960s the Peel to Douglas railway line had closed and tourism saw a decline. Fishing from Peel has seen periods of upturn and decline. For a number of years the annual Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
Festival has attracted visitors to the resort. In 1979 Odin's Raven, the replica of a Viking longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...
, sailed from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Peel to commemorate Manx millennium at the 1000th annual sitting of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
.In 2005, a new floodgate was installed at Peel to retain the waters of the River Neb
River Neb
The River Neb is one of the principal rivers on the Isle of Man. It rises in the Michael hills, flows SW through Glen Helen to St John's, where it is joined by its principal tributary, the Foxdale River, and then flows NW to the Irish Sea at the town of Peel on the western coast...
and thus enable the moored boats to float at low tide.
Peel is the birthplace of the Peel microcars made by the Peel Engineering Company
Peel Engineering Company
The Peel Engineering Company is a manufacturing company based on the Isle of Man that primarily made fibreglass boats as well as fairings for motorcycles. They were also responsible for the Peel Manxcar, Peel P50, and Peel Trident microcars, in addition to the Peel Viking Sport and prototype GRP...
in the 1960s, the only Manx cars ever built.
Amenities
House of Manannan Museum
The House of Manannan Museum was built in 1997, costing £5.5M, partly new and partly in the old Peel railway stationPeel railway station
Peel Station was a terminus on the Isle of Man Railway; it served the city of Peel in the Isle of Man and was the final stopping place on a line that ran between Douglas and the city. It was part of the island's first railway line.-Construction:...
. The museum covers the past and present of the island and houses Odin's Raven, a two-thirds scale replica of a Viking longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...
which had been built in and sailed from Norway, arriving on July 4, 1979 to celebrate the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
of the High Court of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. Manx Transportation Museum, which opened in 2002, is housed in the former Brickworks building near to the harbour.
Leece Museum
Leece Museum was established in 1984 and relocated to the Old Courthouse building in East Quay in 2000. The museum is devoted to objects, photographs and documents specifically relating to the town.Peel Castle
Peel CastlePeel Castle
thumb|250px|right|Chancel of the Cathedral of St. GermanPeel Castle is a castle in Peel, Isle of Man originally constructed by Vikings. The castle stands on St Patrick's Isle which is connected to the town by causeway...
is situated on a small island, St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle is a small island off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, largely occupied by Peel Castle and noted for its attractive and relatively well preserved historic castle ruins. These ruins include St Patrick's Church and an Irish-style round tower, St German's Cathedral, and the more...
, connected to the town by a causeway. It was built in 1392 by William La Scrope. Peel Centenary Centre is an arts and community centre based at the Centenary Hall.
The Headlands Field has a basketball court, bowling green, a BMX course, a five-a-side pitch and a tennis court.
Douglas to Peel railway line
Peel railway stationPeel railway station
Peel Station was a terminus on the Isle of Man Railway; it served the city of Peel in the Isle of Man and was the final stopping place on a line that ran between Douglas and the city. It was part of the island's first railway line.-Construction:...
opened on 1 July 1873, beside the harbour, as the western terminus of the Isle of Man Railway
Isle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...
's Douglas to Peel line. The station closed to passengers on 7 September 1968. The station site is now a car park and boatyard with the station building being used as the House of Mannan Museum.
Douglas to Peel railway line mountain bike & heritage trail
The former railway line is now a long distance footpath and cyclewayLong-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
.
Peel Harbour and Marina
Peel Harbour is the most active fishing port in the Isle of Man and is also used to import fuel oils. There is a fish and shellfish processing industry as well as the traditional art of kipperKipper
A kipper is a whole herring, a small, oily fish, that has been split from tail to head, gutted, salted or pickled, and cold smoked.In the United Kingdom, in Japan, and in some North American regions they are often eaten for breakfast...
curing. The castle overlooks the entrance to the inner harbour, which is tidal. However a water retention scheme was built in July 2005 with a jetty from East Quay toward West Quay with an automatically operated gate-flap and a pedestrian swingbridge above it. The breakwater has deepwater berths with a lighthouse situated at the end.
Peel Marina is currently under construction at a cost of £3.1 million. 124 new berths are being installed by reclaiming part of the top end of the harbour for a boat park, with construction of a new harbour office.
Sport and recreation
Peel A.F.C., who compete in the Isle of Man Football LeagueIsle of Man Football League
The Isle of Man Football League, also known as Canada Life Premier League due to sponsorship purposes, is a football league for clubs on the Isle of Man run by the Isle of Man Football Association. The league does not form part of the English football league system. All clubs on the island are...
, are based in Peel. They play their home games at the Peel FC Football Ground, Douglas Road. Formed in 1888, they are the most successful club on the island with 29 league titles and 30 victories in the Manx FA Cup. They were the first winners of the Isle of Man Football League in 1897. Peel Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club are also based in the town, they are members of the Isle of Man Cricket Association
Isle of Man Cricket Association
The Isle of Man Cricket Association is the official ICC recognised organisation chosen to represent Isle of Man in terms of cricket matters....
.
Valkyrs Hockey Club play their home matches at the Queen Elizabeth II High School astro turf pitch. Peel Golf Club is an 18 hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
located on Rheast Lane which was established in 1895. The clubhouse was opened in 1977 by Peter Alliss
Peter Alliss
Peter Alliss is an English professional golfer, BBC television presenter and commentator, author and golf course designer. Alliss is known for his charismatic and unique style of commentary, often displaying a witty demeanour...
. Western Athletics club is based at Queen Elizabeth II School. Western Swimming Pool is located on Derby Road.
The Raad ny Foillan
Raad ny Foillan
is a long distance footpath in the Isle of Man.-Route and history:The starts and finishes at the Millennium Bridge over Douglas Harbour...
long distance coastal footpath
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
opened in 1986 runs along the coast through Peel.
A local person is known as a "Peelite" or ( – dogfish).
Religion
Peel Cathedral (the cathedral church of St German), built in 1884, became a cathedral in 1980. It is the cathedral church for the Anglican diocese of Sodor and Man and is located in the centre of the town.Peel Elim Community Church
Elim Pentecostal Church
The Elim Pentecostal Church is a UK-based Pentecostal Christian denomination.-History:George Jeffreys , a Welshman, founded the Elim Pentecostal Church in Monaghan, Ireland in 1915. Jeffreys was an evangelist with a Welsh Congregational church background. He was converted at age 15 during the...
holds Sunday morning meetings at the Clothworkers' School.
Grace Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, founded in 1974 as an outreach of the Grace Baptist Church in Onchan, is located in the former Peel Mathematical School building. It was purchased in 1984 and was renovated in 1997 and is listed as a "heritage building".
Peel Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Church is located in Athol Street. There have been a number of Methodist chapels in Peel. The first one was Shore Road Wesley Methodist Chapel, built in 1777. It was used as a fishing-net factory between the 1850s and 1870s, and is now the Peel Youth Centre. A Primitive Methodist Chapel was built on Kirk Michael Street in 1835. It became a public hall when the Christian Street Chapel opened and is now used,with much redevelopment as a showroom. Peel Centenary Wesley Methodist Chapel was built in 1839 on Athol Street. Peel Primitive Methodist Chapel, built in 1878 it is now converted to flats. The organ is now in Jurby
Jurby
Jurby is a parish in Micheal Sheading in the Isle of Man and has, according to the 2006 census 659 , residents.It is largely an agricultural district on the north-north-western coast of the island but also has an industrial park on the old RAF Jurby Airfield.The parish is one of three divisions of...
parish church. The Isle of Man Christian Fellowship are based at the Philip Christian Centre on Christian Street. St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church is on Patrick Street.
Education
The local secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
is Queen Elizabeth II High School
Queen Elizabeth II high school
Queen Elizabeth II High School is a co-educational comprehensive school in Peel Isle of Man. It is commonly referred to as simply QE2 and teaches the years 7-11 as well as a sixth form for years 12-13....
, which is on Douglas Road at the eastern edge of the town. It was opened on 5 July 1979 by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, during her visit to the island to celebrate the millennium of Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
, and since then has grown to about 850 pupils with about 50 staff.
Peel Clothworkers' School is a primary school on Derby Road, which was founded in the 17th century after Philip Christian, a successful expatriate Peel businessman, bequeathed a sum of money in his will to provide for the education of the children in Peel. After changing sites in the town a number of times, as it grew and developed, it finally moved to Derby Road after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and officially opened there in 1953. It is the third largest primary school in the Isle of Man. On 23 April 2008 new £3.3m facilities at the school were officially opened. New dining/assembly hall, kitchen, reception/office complex, meeting room, library, special needs unit, ICT suite had all opened in June 2007, while a refurbished sports hall, staff facilities, two more classrooms and a permanent nursery were added in 2008.
Christian's Endowed National School was built in 1860. It was closed for some time in the mid-20th century before it was refurbished and became the Philip Christian Centre, and a registered building.
MHKs & Elections
| Year | Election | Turnout | Candidates | Elected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | By Election |
? |
|
|
Resignation of Thomas Clague |
| 1903 | General Election |
? |
|
|
|
| 1908 |
General Election |
Unopposed |
|
|
|
| 1913 |
General Election |
? |
|
|
|
| 1919 |
General Election |
? |
|
|
|
| 1924 |
General Election |
? |
|
|
|
| 1929 |
General Election |
? |
|
|
|
| 1933 |
By Election |
? |
|
|
Called following the death of Thomas Barlow Thomas Barlow Thomas Barlow may refer to:* Thomas Barlow , British librarian and bishop* Thomas Barlow , New Brunswick merchant, banker and politician* Sir Thomas Barlow, 1st Baronet , British physician... , late husband of Marion Shimmin |
| 1934 | General Election | Unopposed |
|
|
|
| 1978 | By Election |
? |
|
David Moore (Manx) Dr David Moore is a Manx politician and former Chairman of the Finance Board, the forerunner to the present Treasury Minister. He was Member of the House of Keys for Peel from 1978 until his retirement in 1986... |
|
| 1981 | General Election | ? |
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... David Moore (Manx) Dr David Moore is a Manx politician and former Chairman of the Finance Board, the forerunner to the present Treasury Minister. He was Member of the House of Keys for Peel from 1978 until his retirement in 1986... |
David Moore (Manx) Dr David Moore is a Manx politician and former Chairman of the Finance Board, the forerunner to the present Treasury Minister. He was Member of the House of Keys for Peel from 1978 until his retirement in 1986... |
|
| 1986 | General Election | 79.5% |
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... (664 votes) |
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... |
|
| 1991 |
General Election |
76.5% |
|
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... |
|
| 1996 |
General Election |
70.7% |
|
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... |
|
| 2001 |
General Election |
61.8% |
|
Hazel Hannan Hazel Hannan, former Member of the House of Keys , was previously the Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys and an Education Minister and then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Isle of Man Government. She was elected in 1986 as an independent MHK for Peel, after a failed attempt... |
|
| 2006 |
General Election |
63.4% |
|
Tim Crookall Tim Crookall MHK is a Member of the House of Keys for Peel in the Isle of Man and Minister of Community, Culture and Leisure.in 1996, he replaced Hazel Hannan as MHK for Peel and was successfully re-elected in 2011.-Governmental positions:... |
External links
- Peel Online Community website for Peel
- Peel at isleofman.com
- Peel 2011: a photographic project - over 130 Peel businesses and organisations recorded in July 2011
- Peel Heritage Trust website
- People of Peel Community Forum website for Peel
- Viking Festival website
- House of Manannan website
- ‘Odin’s Raven’ Viking ship display