About
The Tower of Refuge is situated on Conister Rock, also known as St. Mary’s Isle, is a small structure erected upon a partially submerged reef, originally for the purpose of offering shelter to shipwreck victims until help could arrive.
Situated in Douglas Bay, the tower came into being after RNLI founder William Hillary petitioned for a sanctuary to be built on St Mary's Isle.
The reef on which it is built was previously often responsible for the damage and sinking of ships and so the tower provided both a visible warning for incoming ships and a refuge for those in distress.
