Tower of Refuge
| Location | St Mary's Isle, Douglas Bay, Isle of Man |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54°09′01″N 4°28′07″W / 54.1504°N 4.4687°W |
| Designer | John Welch |
| Type | Historic |
| Material | Granite |
| Width | 52 m (171 ft) |
| Height | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Beginning date | 23 April 1832 |
| Completion date | 1832 |
| Dedicated to | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
The Tower of Refuge from Shipwreck, referred to as the Tower of Refuge, is a stone-built castellated structure which was erected on St Mary's Isle (also known as the Conister Rock) in Douglas Bay, Isle of Man, in order to afford shelter to mariners wrecked on the rock. The tower was constructed through the endeavours of Sir William Hillary, who had been instrumental in several rescues of sailors stranded on the rock, and which culminated in the heroic rescue of the crew of the Saint George Steam Packet Company steamer RMS St George, when it foundered on the rock in the early hours of 20 November 1830. Sir William personally contributed a high proportion of the costs and secured a substantial number of public contributions for funding the structure.