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This charming town of swaying
palm trees on the south coast is easily recognised
by its harbour and the medieval castle which
commands the area.
It was the island’s capital
for hundreds of years until the parliament moved
to Douglas in the 1870s and retains its Parliament
Square while Parliament House is now the town
hall.
Today it is home for several
small museums and is also close to the island’s
main sailing centres. |
Castletown beach, harbour
and castle
Photo IOM Tourism |
Built from limestone, Castle
Rushen commands the town, having also served as an
asylum, prison, Parliament House and the Court of
Justice (which it is today).
On Castletown’s doorstep is
the untamed wilderness of the Langness peninsula,
but it is also within easy reach of major Isle of
Man heritage attractions such as The Nautical
Museum, Old Grammar School, and the Old House of
Keys.
Just beyond Castletown is
Derbyhaven where the first Derby horse race was
inaugurated to encourage local horse breeding by
the Stanley Earls of Derby, Lords of Man. The
course itself has been subsumed by King William’s
College, founded in 1830.
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