The first submarine cable for communications between England and the Isle of Man was laid between St Bee's Head (Cumbria) and Port Cornaa in 1864. The Shore terminal hut can still be seen on the south side of Cornaa Beach. Wireless installations were provided for signals between Seaforth and the Government Office in Douglas in 1914; the aerial was mounted on the roof of the building. This continued in use as a back-up facility until 1929, when the GPO Telephones laid a trunk cable from Norbreck (near Blackpool) to Port Grenaugh. The first call was made by Sir Claude Hill, the Governor, and HM Postmaster General Leese Smith on June 28 1929. This cable link carried two trunk circuits; by 1955 these had been increased to 60 circuits. A further radio-telephone link was introduced in 1940 with a station and generating plant at Creg-na-Baa, augmented by a co-axial cable link from Holyhead to the Isle of Man. Later and more recent developments include the provision of microwave stations in the Island.
Utilities - Telegraphs & Telephones
