Keppel Gate, Isle of ManSunday Express page 13 Sunday 12 June 2016 () Place Names of The Isle of Man – Da Ny Manninee Dooie Volume Four Sheading of Garff (Kirk Maughold & Ramsey, Kirk Lonan and Kirk Connchan) page 402 Kirk Connchan by George Broderick (1999) Manx Place- Name Survey, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tübingen (Gesamtwerk) 3-484-10132-X Druck: Das Weihert-Druck GmbH Darmstadt, Eiband: Siegfried Geiger, Ammerbuch "Keppel Gate (Mtn gate)" ['kɛpɘl'] ("gate across the road here") OD1991….Kippal Gate CS 1851, the Keppel Gate CS 1871, Keppel Gate CS 1881, 1891, Keppel Gate (is now the entrance of the Ramsey mountain-road into the Crown Commons…") Gi/I 144: Applies to the site of a gate on the Mountain Road at 5732 in SC3882 ONB 1956 At Kate's Cottage." is part of a former UK HM Commissioners of Woods and Forest estate, including a series of former highway mountain gates. It is now Common land in public ownership and is one of three purpose built former Crown Road sections of the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road used for the Isle of Man TT races. The area of Keppel Gate including a nearby private residence of Kate's Cottage at the adjacent 34th TT Milestone road-side markerInternational Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races and Production Machine Races 3 June 5, 7 & 9, 1972 – Official Programme and Guide FIM The World Championship Road Races page 72 Auto-Cycle Union (1972) Fleet Studios London – Charles Frost Ltd is located between the 4th Milestone and 5th Milestone road-side markers on the primary A18 Snaefell Mountain RoadA Gazetteer of the Isle of Man page 243 & 258 Leslie Qulliam RBV The Manx Heritage Foundation - Eiraght Ashoonagh Vannin (2005) Quine and Cubbon Ltd in the parish district of Kirk Onchan in the Isle of Man.Place Names of the Isle of Man by John J.Kneen MA (1970) Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh The Scolar Press – Map Kirk Onchan page 238, pages 241–242 and pages 202–203 Sheading of Garff
Location and description The ridge line of Keppel GateThe Journal of the Manx Museum page 131 Volume 86-87 The Manx Museum and National Trust is part of a large area of former Crown Commons grazing mountain land known as 'Slieau Lhoost.'Isle of Man Examiner page 4 Saturday 2 February 1902 "CROWN LANDS To be let from the 19th October, the GRAZING on the mountain land, known as SLIEU LHOOST near the Keppel Gate, comprising 1,165 acres or thereabouts (Late in the occupation of Mr Boddan), together with convenient House and accessories, including excellent Sheep Dipper. – Apply to the CROWN RECEIVER" It is an area of uncultivated upland Mountain Land adjacent to the mountain summits of Slieau Ree ()Place Names of The Isle of Man – Da Ny Manninee Dooie Volume Four Sheading of Garff (Kirk Maughold & Ramsey, Kirk Lonan and Kirk Connchan) page 351 Kirk Connchan by George Broderick (1999) Manx Place- Name Survey, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tübingen (Gesamtwerk) 3-484-10132-X Druck: Das Weihert-Druck GmbH Darmstadt, Eiband: Siegfried Geiger, Ammerbuch "….Mx. slieau reoaie, G. slibah fhraoich." at a height of above sea-level and the nearby hillside of Slieau Meayl ().Place Names of The Isle of Man – Da Ny Manninee Dooie Volume Four Sheading of Garff (Kirk Maughold & Ramsey, Kirk Lonan and Kirk Connchan) page 351 Kirk Connchan by George Broderick (1999) Manx Place- Name Survey, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tübingen (Gesamtwerk) 3-484-10132-X Druck: Das Weihert-Druck GmbH Darmstadt, Eiband: Siegfried Geiger, Ammerbuch "….Applies to the feature ct 9757 in SC3982 ONB 1956 Mx: G slibah + moal."
The area of Keppel Gate and Slieau Ree mountain consist of acid grassland, heathIsle of Man Ecological Habit Survey – Phase 1 1991 -1994 Final Report May 1995 page 29 T. Sayle MSc, J. Lamb MSc, A.. Colvin BSc, B. Harris BSc (DAFF) (1995) Isle of Man Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Rheynn Eirinys, Eeastaght as KeylljynManx Uplands and Steering Group – Issues and Opportunities page 4 & map page 13, (Scale 1:200,000) page 43, 53–54 (April 2014) Isle of Man Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Rheynn Chymmyltaght, Bee as Eirinys (DEFRA) – "Defining the Manx Uplands....all areas of 'AML' defined land ("Above the mountain line", 250m above sea level), all land above 200m.... all areas of heathland, woodland and water catchment contiguous with the 200 m contour." and hillside fell with views of Baldwin Valley in the parish of Kirk Braddan and the nearby Beinn-y-Phott Mountain.Jenkinson's Practical Guide to the Isle of Man page 119 by Henry Irwin Jenkinson (1874) Edward Stanford, London. "….When the Keppel Gate is reached, the open fell is entered, and on gaining the summit of the Slieu Ree ridge, a glimpse is had of the East Baldwin valley, with a mountain range on the opposite side, including Pen-y-Pot, Carraghan, Colden, Shea Reay, and Greeba; and farther distant South Barrule."(sic)
Area of Special Scientific Interest The Isle of Man Wild Life Act (1990) permits order the foundation of different types of "Areas of Special Scientific Interest" in the Isle of Man for wildlife, land, coastal or marine environments. This includes sections of the North Atlantic sub-montane heath found on different sections of Mountain Lands in the Isle of Man as a European Union community "priority habitat",A Report on the future of Manx uplands - Final Report page 18-19 Professor J. H. McAdam The Uplands Strategy Steering Group (2014) Isle of Man Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Rheynn Chymmyltaght, Bee as Eirinys (DEFRA) as described by Annex 1 of the EU Habitats DirectiveInterpretation Manual of European Union Habitats - EUR28 European Commission DG Environment Nature ENV B.3 (April 2014) 4030 PAL.CLASS.: 31.2 European Dry Heath page 49, 4010 PAL.:Class 31.11 * Northern Atlantic wet heaths with cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix page 48, and 4060 PAL.Class.: 31..4 Alpine and Boreal heaths Page 50-51 and also the UK Guidelines for Selection of Biological Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI's).Guidelines for the selection of biological SSSI's Part 2: Detailed guidelines for habitats and species groups 9 UPLAND HABITATS 2.2 Acidophilous dwarf shrub heath and scrub, Acidic and calcicolous grassland & 2.6 Blanket Bog page 5-6 Joint Nature Conservation Council (2007)
The heath and heather moorland of the Northern UplandsHouse of Keys Official Report - Recortys Oikoil Y Chiare page 784-785 & Map page 785 Tuesday 14 March 2006 Hansard Office of the Clerk of Tynwald © Court of Tynwald 2006 The Copy Shop Limited. "Heather moorland and semi-natural habitat – DAFF and public owned land." of the type found at Keppel Gate, including Slieau Ree Mountain and Kate's Cottage is an Area of Specific Scientific Interest (ASSI) and further nearby sections of mountain land at Keppel Gate are defined as a "biodiversity" and a upland conservation "hot-spot."Guidelines for the selection of biological Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) on the Isle of Man Volume 2: Detailed habitat and species criteria page 107-8 The Isle of Man Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Rheynn Eirinys, Eeastaght as Keylljyn (2008) (DAFF) "Table 4.7.a – Manx upland conservation "hotspots" SC3982, SC4082, SC4083, SC4084 East of Kate's Cottage, west of Conrhenny plantation, and north and south west of Glenroy. SC3781 A portion of the south western slope of Slieau Ree."
Origin of the name There are a number of alternative etymologies for the meaning of the name for Keppel Gate (archaic Kippal Gate). The name may have originated from () "....the road to the summit...."The 1965 International Tourist Trophy Isle of Man 14 June : 16 :18 Official Programme and Guide page 32 Introducing the Isle of Man to Visitors of the Tourist Trophy Race Meeting - The Venerable E.H. Stenning The Auto-Cycle Union (1965) C.Baldwin Ltd or from Kapall meaning a horse or nag from Late Latin 'caballus' or .The surnames & place-names of the Isle of Man page 283 A. W. Moore MA (1890)
Additional meanings is that the name Keppel Gate originates from the Scandinavian for (The Champion or Hero's mountain).Place Names of the Isle of Man page 241 by John J. Kneen MA (1970) Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh The Scolar Press. "....Kappafjall, 'champion or hero's mountain,' or 'Kappi's mountain.' This was probably the old Norse name of Slieau Ree and Slieau Meayl." or old Norse ) "Kippal Gate, 'big-trunk, stock, post hill, or looked like a tree-stump'"Place Names in the Isle of Man page 126 by George Broderick The name 'Gata' is adopted from Scandinavian meaning a farm lane, path or road.A Manx Scrapbook. Number One of the Manx Scrapbooks page 121 page W. Walter Gil (1929) J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol It is also found in Northern England as '-gata as a street name from Middle English such as Deansgate in Manchester or Micklegate in the city of York adopted as the homonym 'gate' meaning a street, road or land for grazing.West over The Sea page 443-460 by Gillian Fellows-Jensen (2007) The Northern World Brill
A18 Snaefell Mountain Road
The section of the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road from Keppel Gate to Park Llewellyn near the Gooseneck corner, Ramsey was built on former Crown Commons and Commoners allotments mountain grazing land. This land was purchased by the UK Crown following the saleTholtans of the Manx Crofter – Recounting the way of life of the Island's crofting Community and introducing Mike Goldie's Collection of Tholtans page 13 by Gordon N.Kniverton and Mike Goldie with Dr Larch S.Garrad – 1st Edition (1989) Manx Nation Heritage – Eiraght Ashoonagh Vannin The Manx Experience of the feudal rights held by the former Lord of Mann, the 3rd Duke of Atholl after the Act of Revestment in 1765 and sale of remaining property and manorial rights passed on to his son John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl for £417,144 in 1824.BIBLIOTHECA MONENSIS A bibliographical account of works relating to the Isle of Man. page 237-256 William Harrison The Manx Society Douglas MDCCCLXXVI "1824.—An Act empowering the Lords of the Treasury to Purchase all the Manorial Rights of the Duke of Atholl in the Isle of Man, 6th Geo. IV., Cap. 34. 10th June."
The A18 Snaefell Mountain Road reflects typical 19th century highway and railway construction practices. Built over a period of time in the Nineteenth century from a number of horse paths, ancient rights of way of the Regiam Viam (Royal Way)The Isle of Man by Train, Tram and by Foot page 118 by Stan Basnett (1990) Lily Publications Walk 22 - Millennium Way Ancient ridgeway Cronica - Regum Mannie et Insulaum (archaic|) and a series of pre-existing carting-tracks and incomplete stone mountain paths which traversed mountain land, peat bogs and hillside sections.Here Is the News : A Chronicle of the 20th Century page 135 editors Terry Cringle & by Gordon N.Kniverton 1st edition (1999) Mercury Asset Management, The Manx Experience The Keppel Gate section is situated between the 4th milestone and 5th milestone markers on the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road of the small and larger metal 'Garrow' type of markers from the period of James Garrow as Survey-General of Isle of Man Highways and Roads.Manx Milestones page 56 by Stuart Slack (1st Edition) (2003) The Manx Experience Isle of Man Examiner page 9 Saturday 3 May 1913