Quarterbridge Road

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The A2 Quarterbridge Road and the level section of road used for the startline for Isle of Man TT 1911–1913 .

Quarterbridge Road (Manx: The Quarters or Quarter Dub – quarterlands of Ballabrooie and Ballaquayle)[1] is situated adjacent the 1st Milestone road-side marker on the Snaefell Mountain Course on the primary the A2 Douglas to Ramsey road in the town of Douglas in the Isle of Man.

The Quarterbridge Road runs from the major road junction at the Quarterbridge with its junction of the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road, A2 Douglas to Ramsey road and the A5 Douglas to Port Erin road to the road junction with Bray Hill, Tromode Road, Stoney Road and Thorny Road.[2] The A2 Quarterbridge Road also forms road junctions with Alexander Drive, Selborne Drive, Brunswick Drive and Cronkbourne Road in the town of Douglas.

The A2 Quarterbridge Road 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 1922. For the 1906 Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles the start was moved from the Quarterbridge/A5 New Castletown Road to the road junction of the A2 Quarterbridge Road/Alexander Drive adjacent to the property called 'Woodlands' in the town of Douglas. The startline for the 1908 Tourist Trophy was moved again from the A2 Quarterbridge Road to Hillberry Corner as part of the new Four Inch Course.[3]

The A2 Quarterbridge Road is part of the Snaefell Mountain Course used since 1911 for the Isle of Man TT Races and the Manx Grand Prix since 1923. The startline for the 1911 Isle of Man TT Races was originally situated on the level section of the Quarterbridge Road between Selborne Drive and the 1st Milestone/Alexander Drive.[4] The startline and refuelling area was moved to the top of Bray Hill for the 1914 Isle of Man TT Races and then moved in 1920 to the Nobles Park area of the A2 Glencrutchery Road with the junction with Greenfield Road in Douglas.

During the 1953 Senior TT, Les Graham the inaugural 1949 500cc World Champion riding a 500cc MV Agusta motor-cycle on lap 2 of the race lost control on the uneven surface of the Quarterbridge Road and crashed fatally.[5] A further fatal accident to the Australian competitor Geoffrey Walker[6] during the same race at Kerrowmoar prompted a series of major safety revisions and alterations to the Snaefell Mountain Course during the winter of 1953/54 in the Isle of Man. This included the widening of the Quarterbridge Road junction with the A1 Peel Road at the Quarterbridge.[7]

The A2 Quarterbridge Road including the road junctions at Selborne Drive and Brunswick Drive and the A2 Bray Hill was subjected to major road repairs and re-profiling during the winter of 1978/79 by the Isle of Man Highway Board. This followed a series of fatal accidents during the start of the 1978 Sidecar TT Race 'A' to the Swiss sidecar competitor Ernst Trachsel on Quarterbridge Road and the sidecar crew of Mac Hobson/Kenny Birch on the nearby Bray Hill.[8]

Sources

  1. ↑ Place Names of the Isle of Man by John Kneen MA pp125 (1970) Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh The Scolar Press
  2. ↑ Streets of Douglas Old and New by Stuart Slack pp125 (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience ISBN 978-1-873120-27-9
  3. ↑ TT Pioneers – Early Car Racing in the Isle of Man pp 22 Robert Kelly, Mercury Asset Management (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience, The Alden Press ISBN 978-1-873120-61-3
  4. ↑ The Tourist Trophy in Old Photographs Collected by Bill Snelling. Bill Snelling pp14 Sutton Publishing ISBN 1-84015-059-9
  5. ↑ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp7 dated 20 June 1953
  6. ↑ Motor Cycling pp vi dated 18 June 1953
  7. ↑ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 29 May 1954
  8. ↑ TT Century – One Hundred Years of the Tourist Trophy by Stuart Barker pp62 (2007)(1st Edition)The Random House Group Ltd ISBN 978-1-84605-235-4 EMAP Automotive Ltd

External links

  1. TT Grandstand
  2. St Ninian's Crossroads
  3. Bray Hill
  4. Quarterbridge Road
  5. Quarterbridge
  6. Braddan Bridge
  7. 2nd Milestone
  8. Union Mills
  9. Ballahutchin Hill
  10. Glenlough
  11. Ballagarey Corner
  12. Glen Vine
  13. Crosby Cross-Roads
  14. Highlander
  15. Greeba Castle
  16. Appledene
  17. Greeba Bridge
  18. Gorse Lea
  19. Ballagarraghyn
  20. Ballacraine
  21. Ballaspur
  22. Ballig
  23. Doran's Bend
  24. Laurel Bank
  25. Black Dub
  26. Glen Helen
  27. Sarah's Cottage
  28. Creg Willey's Hill
  29. Lambfell Cottage
  30. Cronk-y-Voddy
  31. 11th Milestone
  32. Handley's Corner
  33. Barregarrow
  34. 13th Milestone
  35. Cronk Urleigh
  36. Westwood Corner
  37. Douglas Road Corner
  38. Rhencullen
  39. Birkin's Bend
  40. Bishopscourt
  41. Orrisdale North
  42. Dub Cottage
  43. Alpine Cottage
  44. Ballacobb
  45. Ballaugh Bridge
  46. Ballacrye Corner
  47. Quarry Bends
  48. Sulby Crossroads
  49. Sulby Bridge
  50. Ginger Hall
  51. Kerrowmoar
  52. Glen Duff
  53. Glentramman
  54. Churchtown
  55. Lezayre War Memorial
  56. Sky Hill
  57. Milntown Cottage
  58. Gardener's Lane
  59. School House Corner
  60. Parliament Square
  61. Cruickshanks Corner
  62. Whitegates
  63. Stella Maris
  64. Ramsey Hairpin
  65. Water Works Corner
  66. Tower Bends
  67. Gooseneck
  68. 26th Milestone
  69. Guthrie's Memorial
  70. Mountain Mile
  71. East Mountain Gate
  72. Mountain Box
  73. Casey's
  74. Stonebreakers Hut
  75. Verandah
  76. Bungalow Bridge
  77. Bungalow
  78. Hailwood's Height
  79. Brandywell
  80. 32nd Milestone
  81. Windy Corner
  82. 33rd Milestone
  83. Clark's Corner
  84. Keppel Gate
  85. Kate's Cottage
  86. Creg-ny-Baa
  87. Gob-ny-Geay
  88. Brandish Corner
  89. Hillberry Corner
  90. Cronk-ny-Mona
  91. Signpost Corner
  92. Bedstead Corner
  93. The Nook
  94. Governor's Bridge
Isle of Man racing circuits

Coordinates: 54°09′30″N 4°29′45″W / 54.15833°N 4.49583°W / 54.15833; -4.49583

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