Castletown and Castle Rushen Views by Daniel King, 1643

Castletown and Castle Rushen

The background for these views by Daniel King is given in my introduction.

Castletown

The first five show Castle Rushen in relationship to Castletown which grew up alongside to service it.

**The Prospective of Castle Rushen as it appeares on the South Side**
	A The way into ye Castle B The gate of the Castle. C The round towers of the counterscarpe D The wall of the Castle. E The new buildings n^th in the Castle. F The towne n^th in the Castle. G The New Worke. H The way to the Burne, I The Burne, K The Sand. L The houses of the towne. M Barroole.

**Castle Rushen Town & Castle as it doth appeare on west**
	A The Street. B The market crosse. C The counter scarpe of stone & Tower. D The walls of ye Castle. F The Castle. F The Gournors House. G The rest of the houses i'th Towne.
This view is looking up what is now the Parade viewed from St Mary's Church. Castle street is seen joining from the right. The Governor's house became the George Hotel.

**The Prospective of Castle Rushen as it appeares on the South east side**
	A The innerward of the Castle. B The wall of the Castle. C The wall aboute the Castle. D The Counter-Scarpe. E The new building wherein ye Earle of Derbie lived. F The new Worke. G The Burne that the Sea comes in. H as the Towne appeares.

**Castlerushen as it appeares on the north east side**
	A The Sea. B The Shore. C The new worke. D The waie to the Castle. E The Castle. F The Wall. G The Counter Scarpe.
This view is taken from very near to the present day road bridge over the Silverburn into Castletown. The 'new work' is a gun position covering the harbour - the site is approximately that of today's Castle Arms pub (or colloquially the 'Glue Pot') and also provided the base for the later footbridge across the narrowed river.

**The face of the Burne at Castletowne**

This view show the narrow exit from Castletown harbour; the low-lying land mass beyond the harbour mouth is Langness

Castle Rushen

The following two views concentrate on the Castle

**Castlerushen as it appeares on the South East side**
	A The Counter-Scarpe. B The Round towre on ye Counter-Scarpe. C The Wall of ye Castle. D The houses of ye town. E The Wall about the Castle.
This view is taken from today's Parade, approximately from the George. The strange object on the right is probably the town gibbet. Both round towers have been demolished - the site of that on the left was used for the 19th century Market Hall (later Custom House and now Bank)

**Castlerushen as it appeares on the South South West**
	A The Castle. B A Wall about the Castle. C The Counter-Scarpe of Stone being 12 yds broad 7 yds deepe. D The new building where in my Lord lived.
This shows the side of the castle as viewed from Parliament Square - note however that King has used his artistic licence to ignore the houses along Castle street and exagerated the distance from the Castle

Views from or of Langness and Derby Island

**The Landskip of Castle Rushen as it appeares on the South east neere Derbie Fort**
	A The Sand. B The Sea. C Castletowne. D Ballasalley. E Barroole. F Scarlett. G The Shelves of the Rocks. The figures that you see were made for the Countesse of Derbie her Children and attendants.

**The Landskip of Derbie ffort as it doth appeare from the same station but turning to the north by west**
	A The Rocks. B The Sands. C The Water. D St Michaells Island. E St Michaells Chappell. F Derbies fforte. G The false Sobria. H The Rockes at Ranenes.
The 'false Sobria' is I think a reference to the conjecture that the Diocese of Sodor and Man was so named from a place called Sodor, sometimes placed either at St Patrick's Isle or St Michael's Island.




Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2001