Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for PEEL

PEEL, a town in Kirk-German parish, Isle of Man; on the W coast, at the mouth of the river Nebb, 11½ miles W N W of Douglas. It was anciently called Halland, Holene, and Holme-Town; it is now calledby the Manx, Purtny-Hinsey, signifying "the harbour of the Island or holme; " it takes these names from arocky islet, called St. Patrick's Isle, which adjoins it, and shelters its harbour; it was burnt, in 1229, by Reginald, son of Godred; it is noted for an ancient castleoccupying all St. Patrick's Isle, and containing famousancient buildings, both ecclesiastical and civil; it consists of narrow and irregular streets, edificed with old red sandstone of the neighbourhood; it is a great seat ofherring fishery, and carries on some ship-building; and it has a post-office‡ under Douglas, Isle of Man, two good hotels, a church, a well-endowed grammar and naval school, and charities £80. The castle encloses anarea of about 5 acres; consists of walls erected in 1593, by the fourth Earl of Derby; is supposed to have been preceded by fortifications, destroyed by Robert Bruce; and may be reached by stepping-stones at low water. The walls are 4 feet thick, and embattled; and havetowers at irregular intervals. A ruined cathedral stands within the area, projects its E end as part of the castlewalls; is cruciform, with a low central tower, but without aisles; measures 114½ feet from E to W, and 68¼ feet along the transepts; is partly early English, partly decorated, with some admixture of Norman; and continued to be used till nearly the middle of last century. A barrel-vaulted crypt, 34 feet long and 16 feet wide, is beneath the cathedral; was used as a prison for all kinds of offenders; and was the death place, in 1453, of Eleanor, the wife of the good Duke Humphrey. A moated, rec-tangular, pyramidal mound, is in the centre of the castlearea; measures 271 feet along each side; and may have been a Scandinavian fort, erected prior to the 11th century. A round tower stands to the W of the mound, on the highest point of the island; resembles the famousold round towers of Ireland, and the towers of Abernethy and Brechin in Scotland; measures 44½ feet incircumference near the base, and about 50 feet in height; and has a door, facing the E, and beginning 6¾ feet from the ground. A ruined church, called the church of St. Patrick, stands between the round tower and the cathedral; consists of irregular masonry: and has circular-headed doors and windows, and a W bell-turret. Vestiges of a guard-house, an armoury, and several other old buildings, are within the castle area. The church in the town is modern. A pier was built in 1798; is 1, 200 feet long, and from 20 to 30 wide; has ajetty, constructed in 1830, and 120 feet long; and hasalso a lighthouse, erected in 1811, and showing a fixedlight 21 feet high, visible at the distance of 8 miles. The harbour has only 8 feet water at high water, but an anchorage outside has from 3 to 5 fathoms. A beacon tower, called Corrin's Folly, is near Contrary Head,on an eminence 675 feet in height, 1¼ mile to the S S W. Pop. of the town, in 1851, 2, 342; in 1861, 2, 848. Houses, 432.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: the Isle of Man CrProt
Place names: HALLAND     |     HOLENE     |     HOLME TOWN     |     PEEL
Place: Peel

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