Keppel Gate

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Isle of Man TT Course
Keppel Gate
Coordinates: 54°12′56″N 4°28′46″W / 54.215672, -4.479386
OS grid ref.	SC383828
Parish	Onchan
Course distance	33.65 mi (54 km)
Preceded by	33rd Milestone
Followed by	Kate's Cottage

Keppel Gate is a left-hand corner on the primary A18 Mountain Road in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man.^[1]

Keppel Gate is situated between the 33rd Milestone and 34th Milestone road markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course. The word Keppel is from the Scandinavian for Kappafjall (The champion or hero's mountain). This is probably the Scandinavian name for the nearby Slieau Meayll or Slieau Ree mountains.^[2] Keppel Gate was part of the Highland Course and Four Inch Course used for the Gordon Bennett Trial and Tourist Trophy automobile car races between 1904 and 1911. Also, Keppel Gate is part of the Mountain Course used since 1911 for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races.

The A18 Mountain Road was developed in the mid-19th century from a number of pre-existing roads and paths. This included the building of a number of sheep-gates including the East Mountain Gate, the Beinn-y-Phott sheep-gate and Keppel Gate. The section of road from Keppel Gate to Park Llewelyn is a product of the Disaforesting Commission of 1860.^[3] Contemporary photographs of the Isle of Man TT races in the 1920's and 1930's show a sheep-gates at nearby Kate's Cottage and also at Keppel Gate.^[4] In the recent building of a TT Marshals' shelter at Keppel Gate, the original stone gatepost from Keppel Gate was incorporated into its design.

The Keppel Gate section of A18 Mountain Road was subject to road re-surfacing work during the winter of 2006-2007 by the Isle of Man Department of Transport.

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Snaefell Mountain Course

TT Grandstand - St Ninian's Crossroads - Bray Hill - Quarterbridge - Braddan Bridge - Union Mills - Ballahutchin Hill - Glenlough - Ballagarey Corner - Glen Vine - Crosby Cross-Roads - Highlander - Greeba Castle - Appledene - Greeba Bridge - Gorse Lea - Ballagarraghyn - Ballacraine - Ballaspur - Ballig - Doran's Bend - Laurel Bank - Black Dub - Glen Helen - Cronk Urleigh - Sarah's Cottage - Creg Willey's Hill - Lambfell Cottage - Cronk-y-Voddy - 11th Milestone - Handley's Corner - Barregarrow - 13th Milestone - Westwood Corner - Douglas Road Corner - Rhencullen - Birkin's Bends - Bishopscourt - Orrisdale North - Dub Cottage - Alpine Cottage - Ballaugh Bridge - Ballacrye Corner - Quarry Bends - Sulby Straight - Sulby Bridge - Ginger Hall - Kerrowmoar - Glen Duff - Glentramman - Churchtown - Lezayre War Memorial - Sky Hill - Milntown Cottage - Gardener's Lane - School House Corner - Parliament Square - Cruickshanks Corner - Whitegates - Stella Maris - Ramsey Hairpin - Water Works Corner - Tower Bends - Gooseneck - 26th Milestone - Guthrie's Memorial - Mountain Mile - East Mountain Gate - Mountain Box - George's Folly - Stonebreakers Hut - Verandah - Bungalow Bridge - Bungalow - Hailwood Rise - Brandywell - 32nd Milestone - Windy Corner - 33rd Milestone - Clark's Corner - Keppel Gate - Kate's Cottage - Creg-ny-Baa - Gob-ny-Geay - Brandish Corner - Hillberry Corner - Cronk-ny-Mona - Signpost Corner - Bedstead Corner - The Nook - Governor's Bridge

[edit] Sources

^ 1851 Kippal's Gate - Place Names in the Isle of Man by George Broderick page 126
^ Manx Note Book
^ Manx Milestones by Stuart Slack pp58 The Manx Experience
^ Motocourse History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races 1907-1989 by Nick Harris pp100 (1990)(1st Edition) Hazelton Publishing ISBN 0-905138-71-6