The Tower of Refuge is one of the best known landmarks to the thousands of visitors from around the world who come to Isle of Man every year, and some may or may not know the history behind this sanctuary...........

            It was as a direct result of the wreck of the 'St George' in 1830, that Sir William Hillary (Founder of the RNLI) who was involved in the rescue himself, petitioned for a sanctuary to be built on the small reef know variously as "St Mary's Isle or Conister Rocks". Sir William urged that a lighthouse or some kind of sanctuary should be built, but the Harbour Commissioners at the time refused to do anything as the islet was in private ownership, so undeterred he launched a public subscription and gave his promise that he would fund any shortfall himself, which he did. The final cost of the building being £250 of which he paid £78.

          Manx Attorney General John Quane the owner of the islet, presented it to Sir William, with the request that the present and all future Presidents of the MANX Lifeboat Society, would hold the Islet and Tower in trust, the Tower was designed by renowned architect John Welch, who also designed several other buildings on the island namely the churches at Ballaugh, Kirk Michael and Lezayre, and is modelled on a 13th centaury castle, and any mariners who having need of the Tower would be able to use the bell housed there to summon help, with steps inside the Tower to take the mariner up onto the castellated flat roof, which is well above the waves affording shelter from the storm, his remit from Sir William, was to use the "rudest and strongest" materials available so as to stave off the worst of all the inclement seas and forces possible. The first stone being laid with much pomp and ceremony by Sir William and was completed in 1832, all the work being carried out at low tide for greater safety.

       The Tower was given it's now famous name by the equally well known poet William Wordsworth when he wrote...

"Blest work it is of love and innocence,
      A Tower of Refuge built for the else forlorn,
Spare it ye waves, and lift the mariner
     struggling for life, into its saving arms."

         The Tower Insurance company has included the image of the Tower of Refuge in its logo for many years, the Tower is lit up in the summer months via an undersea cable, and flies the RNLI flag, and anyone would agree that it is a fitting tribute to Sir William Hillary BT.
 Coincidently since the building of the Tower of Refuge and up till the present day no ships have founded on the rocks...