Gorse Lea

Gorse Lea (Manx: Ballagarraghyn – the farm of O'Dorgan) is situated between the 6th Milestone and 7th Milestones on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road in the parish of German in the Isle of Man.

Gorse Lea
Location of Gorse Lea in Isle of Man
Coordinates54°11′53.2″N 4°37′6″W
Built1949, 1953–1954

Motor-sport heritage

The Gorse Lea (Ballagarraghyn) section of the A1 Douglas to Peel road was part of the short Highland Course (40.38 miles) from 1906[1] and the also the 37.50 Mile Four Inch Course used for automobile racing including the RAC Tourist Trophy car races held between 1905 and 1922.[2]

A section of the Douglas to Peel road from Ballacraine to Quarterbridge, Douglas, including Gorse Lea and nearby Greeba Bridge was used for the 1905 International Motor-Cycle Cup Races.[3]

In 1911, the Four Inch Course was first used by the Auto-Cycling Union for the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races.[4] This included the Gorse Lea[5] section and the course later became known as the 37.73 mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course which has been used since 1911 for the Isle of Man TT Races and from 1923 for the Manx Grand Prix races.[6]

Road improvements

The Greeba section on the primary A2 Douglas to Peel road including Gorse Lea was widened and reprofiled in 1949[7] and further widened for the 1953 Isle of Man TT races.[8][9]

Sources
  1. TT Pioneers – Early Car Racing in the Isle of Man page 22 Robert Kelly, Mercury Asset Management (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience, The Alden Press ISBN No 1 873120 61 3
  2. Isle of Man Car Races 1904–1953 page 30 by Neil Hanson (2015) Lily Publications ISBN 978-1-907945-36-6
  3. Manx Sun page 14 THE MOTOR CYCLES Saturday 3 June 1905
  4. The Manx Experience. A Souvenir Guide to the Isle of Man. page 66-67 Gordon N. Kniverton 8th edition The Manx Experience (1987) Mannin Publishing Ltd
  5. Daily Express page 53 Tuesday 7 June 2011
  6. The History of the Manx Grand Prix page 7, 8, 9 by Bill Snelling Amulree Publishing(1998) Manx Heritage Foundation ISBN 1 901508 04 8
  7. Isle of Man Examiner page 1 Friday 6 August 1948
  8. Isle of Man Times page 7 TT COURSE WILL BE FASTER Saturday 25 April 1953
  9. Isle of Man Times page 6 Saturday 29 May 1954
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