Clypse Course
Clypse Course at a glance
- Location
- Onchan, Isle of Man
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 17.61 km (10.95 mi)
- Turns
- 34
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Elevation change
- 856 ft
- Opened
- 1954
- Owner
- Isle of Man Government (public roads); no longer used for racing
Track map and layout
The Clypse Course was a 10.95-mile (17.61km), 34-turn loop built around the Douglas suburb of Onchan, created for smaller and slower TT classes that organisers judged unsuited to the full 37.73-mile Mountain Course. It shared its start and finish with the Mountain Course on Glencrutchery Road, dropping down Bray Hill before turning off sharply at Parkfield Corner, climbing to Willaston Corner and through a tricky sequence of corners to Cronk-ny-Mona, where it briefly joined the Mountain Course itself but ran it in reverse to Creg-ny-Baa. From there it turned back down through Ballacarrooin Hill, the course's highest point at around 856ft, onto the Onchan-to-Laxey road, through the Nursery Curves to Signpost Corner, and finally back along the closing stretch of the Mountain Course to the finish.
Named corners and sections
- Parkfield Corner. The sharp right turn off the shared Bray Hill start that sent riders onto the Clypse-only section of the lap.
- Willaston Corner. A climbing corner on the Onchan side of the course, part of a tricky sequence of bends.
- Ballacarrooin Hill. The highest point of the course, around 856ft above sea level, on the loop back from Creg-ny-Baa.
- Nursery Curves. A run of curves near Signpost Corner shared with the Mountain Course, used on the run back to the finish.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Clypse Course | 17.62 km | The only configuration; used for TT lightweight, ultra-lightweight and sidecar classes 1954-1959 |
Events and race weekends
No racing has used the Clypse Course since 1959. It was created for the 1954 TT to bring back the Sidecar TT and the Ultra-Lightweight class after a wartime and post-war absence, and the Lightweight TT joined it from 1955, all three classes racing there through 1959. From 1960 onward all TT classes, including sidecars and the smaller-engine categories, reverted to the full Mountain Course, and the Clypse loop has not hosted racing since.
Getting there and parking
The old course lies within a few kilometres of Douglas, effectively inside the town's Onchan suburb and the lower slopes of the Mountain Road, so it is reached the same way as central Douglas: a short drive or bus ride from the Sea Terminal, and about 15-20 minutes from Ronaldsway Airport in the south of the island.
- Isle of Man Airport (Ronaldsway) (IOM) · about 20 min drive
Parking
Ordinary street parking applies in Onchan and Douglas; there is no event-specific parking since no racing takes place on the route today.
Because the course shares its start, Cronk-ny-Mona and Signpost Corner sections with the modern Mountain Course, a visitor already planning to see TT landmarks in Douglas and Onchan will pass much of the old Clypse route without extra effort.
Hotels and camping near Clypse Course
There is no event to plan a stay around, so visitors simply base themselves in Douglas, a couple of kilometres from most of the old course, which has by far the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses on the island. Onchan itself, immediately adjoining the route, has some accommodation but far less than Douglas.
Where to look
Douglas, the island's main town, sits right next to the old course and has the widest choice of hotels; Onchan has a smaller amount of accommodation directly on the route.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
There is no trackday or racing access to the Clypse Course: it has been an ordinary network of public roads carrying everyday Douglas and Onchan traffic since 1959. Large parts of the route, including the shared sections at Bray Hill, Cronk-ny-Mona, Creg-ny-Baa and Signpost Corner, can be driven or ridden today as part of a normal visit, at legal speed, though nothing marks the route as a historic circuit on the ground.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight TT | 8:04.2 (80.22mph average) | Tarquinio Provini | MV Agusta | 1959 |
| Sidecar TT wins | — | Walter Schneider | BMW | 1959 |
Spectator guide
There is nothing to spectate today; the roads carry ordinary traffic and no event uses the Clypse Course any more. Anyone retracing it does so as a self-guided historical drive, usually alongside visiting the surviving Mountain Course landmarks the two routes share, such as Cronk-ny-Mona, Creg-ny-Baa and Signpost Corner.
Best places to watch
Creg-ny-Baa and Signpost Corner are the most recognisable shared points between the Clypse Course and today's Mountain Course.
History of Clypse Course
Bringing sidecars and small bikes back to the TT
The Clypse Course was purpose-built for the 1954 Isle of Man TT to solve a specific problem: organisers wanted to reinstate the Sidecar TT and the small-engine Ultra-Lightweight class, but judged the full 37.73-mile Mountain Course unsuitable for slower, lighter outfits and machines. Road-widening work over the winter of 1953-54 turned a loop of existing roads around Onchan, sharing its start and finish on Glencrutchery Road with the Mountain Course, into a dedicated 10.95-mile, 34-turn circuit. The 1954 Sidecar TT's return was itself controversial, opposed by some motorcycle manufacturers, and notable for the appearance of Inge Stoll, the first female competitor at an Isle of Man TT.
Five seasons of racing
The Lightweight TT joined the Ultra-Lightweight and Sidecar classes on the Clypse Course from 1955, and the three categories raced there every year through 1959. Italian rider Carlo Ubbiali dominated the lightweight classes with four wins across the period, while German sidecar ace Walter Schneider took three victories, reflecting the strength of continental European teams in these smaller-engine categories during the 1950s. Tarquinio Provini set the course's fastest-ever lap, 80.22mph, aboard an MV Agusta in the final 1959 Lightweight TT.
Reunited with the Mountain Course
By the end of the 1950s, sidecars and the lighter solo classes had grown quick and capable enough that organisers no longer saw a need for a separate, shorter circuit. From 1960 the Sidecar TT and the Lightweight and Ultra-Lightweight classes all moved onto the full Mountain Course alongside the larger-engine races, and the Clypse Course has not been used for racing since.
What remains today
The roads that made up the Clypse Course, mostly within Onchan and the lower Mountain Road area just outside Douglas, remain in everyday use, and several sections, including the shared stretches at Bray Hill, Cronk-ny-Mona, Creg-ny-Baa and Signpost Corner, are already familiar to any visitor exploring the modern TT course. Nothing on the ground marks the Clypse-only sections as a former circuit, and racing has never returned there.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Clypse Course built?+
It was created for the 1954 TT to give the Sidecar TT and the Ultra-Lightweight (and, from 1955, Lightweight) classes a shorter course, since organisers considered the full Mountain Course unsuitable for these slower, lighter machines.
How long was the Clypse Course?+
10.95 miles (17.61km) per lap, with 34 turns, built mostly around Onchan and sharing its start, finish and a few sections with the Mountain Course.
When did racing stop on the Clypse Course?+
The last races were held in 1959; from 1960 all the classes that had used it, including sidecars, reverted to the full Mountain Course.
Can you still drive the Clypse Course today?+
The roads are ordinary public roads carrying everyday traffic, and several sections overlap with today's Mountain Course, but nothing marks the route as a historic circuit and there is no organised way to retrace it.
Who holds the Clypse Course lap record?+
Tarquinio Provini set the fastest lap, an average of 80.22mph, riding an MV Agusta in the 1959 Lightweight TT, the course's final season.
Who was Inge Stoll and why does she matter to the Clypse Course?+
Inge Stoll competed as a sidecar passenger in the 1954 Sidecar TT, the race that reintroduced sidecars on the newly built Clypse Course, making her the first female competitor at an Isle of Man TT.
Other tracks nearby
- Isle of Man TT Mountain Course · 3 km · public road circuit
- St John's Short Course · 11 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Billown Circuit · 17 km · public road circuit
- Kirkistown Race Circuit · 71 km · road course
- Bishopscourt Racing Circuit · 82 km · road course
- Anglesey Circuit / Trac Môn · 110 km · road course
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.