“Ballastowell” the Manx call it. That means the farm of McStoile. We are now at Tower Bends. This point sits on the Snaefell Mountain Course. It is used for the Isle of Man TT races. This course runs along the Snaefell Mountain Road. It is designated A18.
Tower Bends lies in the parish of Maughold on the Isle of Man. Tower Bends follows Waterworks. It continues the climb out of Ramsey town. Race competitors must navigate this sequence of bends. The elevation here is 400 feet. That’s 122 metres above sea level. We are at the 25th Milestone road-side marker. This is measured from the TT Grandstand startline. The circuitous course is over 37 miles long. After Tower Bends, the climb continues to the Gooseneck. Then comes the start of the Snaefell Mountain section.
The S-bend corners at Tower Bends have a history. They were part of the Highland Course. They also formed part of the Four Inch Course. These courses hosted the Gordon Bennett Trial and Tourist Trophy car races. These races occurred between 1904 and 1922. Tower Bends is now part of the Snaefell Mountain Course. This course has been used since 1911 for the TT. It has been used since 1923 for the Manx Grand Prix races.
Why is it called Tower Bends? The name has royal connections. Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort, visited the Isle of Man. This happened on 20 September 1847. They were aboard the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert. The Prince Consort was rowed ashore. He landed at Ballure shore near Ramsey.
He climbed Lhergy Frissell. This translates from Manx as the hill of Frissell or clan Frazer. From there, the Prince Consort viewed Ramsey town. He also saw the northern plain of the Isle of Man.
The site became known as Albert’s Mount. In 1848, a tower was built there. It was built in the Scottish baronial style. Granite and local slate were used. The tower was 45 feet tall. That is 13.5 metres. It measured 16 feet square at the base. That is 4.9 metres. Thus, the name Tower Bends was born to remember Prince Albert’s visit. Today, Tower Bends remains a significant point on the Isle of Man TT course. It challenges racers with its technical S-bend.