| Ballaugh Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 54°18′34.8″N4°32′29.2″W / 54.309667°N 4.541444°W /54.309667; -4.541444 |
| Built | c. 1739 |
  Location of Ballaugh Bridge in Isle of Man | |
Ballaugh Bridge[1] is located on the primaryA3Castletown toRamsey road and adjacent to the road junctions with theA10 Ballaugh to Ramsey coast road and the tertiary C37 Ballaugh Glen Road in the parish ofBallaugh in theIsle of Man.
Ballaugh Bridge is ahump-backed road bridge over the Ravensdale River,[2] located in the village ofBallaugh.
Ballaugh Bridge was part of the 52.15 mileHighland Course (amended to 40.38 miles in 1906[3]) and the 37.50 MileFour Inch Course used for automobile racing including the 1904 Gordon Bennett Trial and the RAC Tourist Trophy car races held between 1905 and 1922.[4]
It was also the western edge of theSandygate Loop for the 1904 Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial and the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles. The 1906 Tourist Trophy Race used the ShortHighroads Course, with the abandonment of theSandygate Loop in favour of the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road fromBallacraine corner to Ramsey.
In1911, the Four Inch Course for automobiles was first used by the Auto-Cycling Union for theIsle of Man TT motor-cycle races. This included Ballaugh Bridge[5] and the course later became known as the 37.73 mileIsle of Man TT Mountain Course which has been used since 1911 for theIsle of Man TT Races and from 1923 for theManx Grand Prix races.[6]
The Bridge was subject to road widening and reprofiling during the winter of 1953/1954 for the1954 Isle of Man TT races including the removal of a garden wall[7] of the adjacent Ballaugh Railway Hotel (now theRaven Hotel).[8] Ballaugh Bridge is the only remaining hump-backed bridge on the TT Course after the removal ofSulby Bridge in the 1920s andBallig Bridge in 1935.[9]
Located near to Ballaugh Bridge is a road-side memorial toKarl Gall, a member of the pre-war worksBMW motor-cycle team[10] who died from injuries suffered after crashing near to the bridge during evening practice for the1939 Isle of Man TT races.[11][12]
