Laxey
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View of the harbour and old part of Laxey | |
Location within the Isle of Man | |
Population | 1,656 (2021 census) [1] |
OS grid reference | SC434840 |
• Douglas | 7 miles (11 km) |
Parish | Garff (Parish District) |
Sheading | Garff |
Crown dependency | Isle of Man |
Post town | ISLE OF MAN |
Postcode district | IM4 |
Dialling code | 01624 |
Police | Isle of Man |
Fire | Isle of Man |
Ambulance | Isle of Man |
House of Keys | Garff |
Laxey (Manx : Laksaa) is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'. Its key distinguishing features are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwheel in the world. It is also the location of King Orry's Grave.
The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road, and on the vintage Manx Electric Railway, and Snaefell Mountain Railway. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens; another glen, Dhoon Glen, is about 11⁄4 miles away. The Raad ny Foillan long distance coastal footpath, opened in 1986, runs along the coast of Laxey Bay through the village.
In the 19th century lead and zinc mining began; it became the largest industry in the village, but ended in 1929. The village also had a fishing industry. [2]
In the late 1800s the Manx Electric Railway line was built through the village, opening it up to tourists. Other attractions were built at that time, including Snaefell Mountain Railway and the Laxey Glen Pleasure Gardens.
Laxey village is now a mainly residential and tourist area. There are several public gardens, primarily Laxey Glen Gardens. There is also a handweaving mill which sells its own products and many others. The village has five pubs and a microbrewery, The Old Laxey Brewing Company.
The village is built around a wooded glen with a number of steep winding streets and paths leading to the floor of the glen, from where one can walk [3] by the side of Laxey River to its outflow to the sea at the small harbour, and onto the beach and promenade. One can also walk around the cliffs to the north of the beach from opposite the "La Mona Lisa Restaurant". This walk goes over the cairn (kern), from where there are views of Laxey Bay and Clay Head to the south. A Laxey-born and bred person would say, "I'm going over the kern for a walk".[ citation needed ]
Many of Laxey's buildings were built as mining cottages in the traditional Manx style. To the southeast of the village centre, above the left bank of the Laxey River, is the Minorca area. Old Laxey has winding streets around the harbour. The village centre is a newer, late Victorian section further inland is the area of shops and services around the railway station.
The Great Laxey Mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft (670 m) and consisted primarily of three shafts: the Welsh Shaft, the Dumbell's Shaft and the Engine Shaft, each of these shafts being connected by a series of levels. [4]
There is no exact date for the start of mining at Laxey, but by 1782 workings were being opened. The mine yielded zinc, silver ore, copper pyrites and hematite iron in significant quantities; and by the 1830s over 200 men were employed in the mines, [4] the figure rising steadily until over 600 were employed by 1900.
Following various short-term closures, by May 1929 rumours had begun to circulate about the future of the mine. By then, most of the miners had left, with many emigrating to South Africa, Australia or the United States of America. [5] Continued flooding in the lower reaches of the mine combined with antiquated pumping machinery finally led to the end of mining operations at Laxey, and on the Isle of Man. However some of the spoil residue was brought to the washing floors to extract any remaining worth from it. It is thought that this continued until 1934, when all working finally ceased. [4]
The Isle of Man census 2011 lists the village district population as 1,705. It is the fourth largest village on the island. [6]
Historically, Laxey was in the parish of Lonan within the sheading of Garff.
Until 2016, Laxey was a village district with its own commissioners. From 1 May 2016, it merged with the parishes of Lonan and Maughold to form the new parish district of Garff, within which it is a ward.
Laxey is also part of the Keys constituency of Garff, whose representation increased in 2016 from one to two members.
Laxey Wheel, also known as Lady Isabella after the wife of The Hon. Charles Hope, then Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, was built in 1854 to pump water from the Laxey mine shafts. Now a tourist attraction, it is claimed to be the largest working waterwheel in the world. Designed by Robert Casement, it is 72 feet 6 inches (22.10 m) in diameter and 6 feet (1.83 m) wide. It revolves at about 3 rpm. The wheel was owned by Edwin Kneale from 1939 to 1965; he saved it from being dismantled and ran it as a tourist attraction, before passing it on to the Manx nation, with the agreement that it should be kept in perpetual running order for the people of the Isle of Man. In 1965 the Isle of Man Government bought the wheel and the site. Restoration work began, and in 1989 it was put under the control of Manx National Heritage. [7]
The Great Laxey Mine Railway re-opened with two small steam engines in September 2004 to carry passengers along the restored route.
The Laxey Woollen Mills were founded in 1881 by Egbert Rydings, supported by John Ruskin, and were originally water powered. [8] The mills are known for producing Manx tartan which is used to make a variety of items from hats, scarfs and kilt skirts to capes and rugs. The cloth is made of fine Manx Loaghtan wool and woven on traditional-style looms. One loom operates by bicycle-power. The mills are now mainly a working shop, but still weave the Manx tartan and other cloth. The Laxey Woollen Mills also contain a busy craft shop, a tea-room, and the Hodgson Loom Gallery, which holds monthly arts and crafts exhibitions. [9]
The village has a small harbour at the river mouth which was built in the 1850s to service the mining industry. It is now used by leisure craft and inshore fishing vessels that utilise Laxey Bay and further offshore. Laxey Bay is a protected Marine Nature Reserve. [10]
Laxey is the site of King Orry's Grave.
The Isle of Man is a popular venue for conventions. As an example, Laxey was the venue for the Linux Bier Wanderung in 2016.
Laxey lies on the Manx Electric Railway, a vintage line which runs for 17 miles along the coast, between Douglas and Ramsey. Laxey station is in the north of the village and is also the southern terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway which runs for five miles between Laxey and the top of Snaefell mountain.
Laxey is also on the route of most buses between Douglas and Ramsey.
Laxey had a number of Methodist chapels. Shore Road Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in 1825, and closed in 1870. Glen Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was opened in 1850. It closed in 1966. Minorca Primitive Methodist Chapel was opened in 1870 and Sunday School was built in 1898 in land across the road; the chapel closed in 1966 when Glen Road and Minorca combined. In 1970 Minorca's Sunday School building became the new Methodist chapel for Laxey. [11]
Christ Church, the Church of England parish church, was built to a design of Ewan Christian and constructed by the mining company at a cost of £950. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, Lord Auckland, on 27 May 1856. [12]
Laxey School is a primary school located on Quarry Road.
Laxey is twinned with Bagillt, North Wales.
Laxey F.C., based at Glen Road, play in the Isle of Man Football League.
The Laxey Wheel is built into the hillside above the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man. It is the largest surviving original working waterwheel in the world. Designed by Robert Casement, the wheel has a 72-foot-6-inch (22.1 m) diameter, is 6 feet (1.8 m) wide and revolves approximately three times per minute.
The Manx Electric Railway is an electric interurban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at Laxey. Many visitors take an excursion on the trams. It is the oldest electric tram line in the world whose original rolling stock is still in service.
The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at 2,036 feet (621 m) above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway (MER) in Laxey. The line is 5 miles (8 km) long, is built to 3 ft 6 in gauge and uses a Fell Incline Railway System centre rail for braking on the steep gradients. It is electrified using overhead wires at 550 volts direct current, with bow collectors.
Stephen Charles Rodan MLC is a Manx politician who served as the President of Tynwald from 2016 to 2021 and is a former Minister of the Isle of Man Government and former MHK for the constituency of Garff. He was first elected to the seat in a by-election in 1995.
Lezayre, formally Kirk Christ Lezayre, is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man.
Lonan is one of the 17 parishes of the Isle of Man.
The Isle of Man has a rich transport heritage and boasts the largest narrow-gauge railway network in the British Isles with several historic railways and tramways still in operation. These operate largely to what is known as "Manx Standard Gauge" and together they comprise about 65 miles (105 km) of Victorian railways and tramways. The Isle of Man Railway Museum in Port Erin allows people to find out more about the history of the Manx railways, and was until 1998 accompanied by a similar museum in Ramsey, which was dedicated to the history of the electric line, but this was closed and converted into a youth club. The steam railway to the south of the island, electric to the north and mountain line to the summit of Snaefell, the island's only mountain, are all government-owned, and operated under the title Isle of Man Railways, as a division of the island's Department of Infrastructure. The lines at Groudle Glen and Curraghs Wildlife Park are both privately owned but open to the public.
Steam 125 was a series of events held in 1998 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Isle of Man Railway opening its first route from Douglas to Peel the railway ran a large number of special events. Most notable was the return to service of the original steam locomotive No. 1 "Sutherland" which hauled special services all year, including excursions on the Manx Electric Railway; other highlights included night trains, arranged photography sessions, slide and film shows, unusual tram trips, and visiting locomotives on the Groudle Glen Railway and many more. This was the last of the "big" railway events on the island, which had begun with the "Year of Railways" in 1993 to mark the centenary of the Manx Electric Railway. Although there are still annual events periods on the island these are now a very half-hearted affair and do not bring the enthusiasts as they once did.
The Year of Railways was a series of special events held on the Isle of Man during 1993 to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the first section of the Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Groudle in September 1893.
The Great Snaefell Mine, also referred to as the East Snaefell Mine, was a zinc mine located high in the Laxey Valley on the slopes of Snaefell Mountain, in the parish of Lonan, Isle of Man. The mine reached a depth of 1,188 ft (362 m) and is remembered as the scene of the Isle of Man's worst mining disaster in 1897.
The Great Snaefell Mining Company was a mining company formed to operate the Great Snaefell Mine on the Isle of Man.
The Great Laxey Mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine located in Laxey, in the parish of Lonan, Isle of Man. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft (670 m) and consisted primarily of three shafts: the Welsh Shaft, the Dumbell's Shaft and the Engine Shaft; each of these shafts was connected by a series of levels.
The Ballajora Mine also referred to as the Maughold Head Mine, was an iron ore, hematite and copper mine located in the parish of Maughold, Isle of Man. The mine lay principally on the farmland of Magher-beck. The head engineer of the mine, referred to as the Mine Captain, was John Faragher.
The Dhyrnane Mine was a hematite and iron ore mine located in the parish of Maughold, Isle of Man.
The Foxdale Mines is a collective term for a series of mines and shafts which were situated in a highly mineralised zone on the Isle of Man, running east to west, from Elerslie mine in Crosby to Niarbyl on the coast near Dalby. In the 19th century the mines were widely regarded as amongst the richest ore mines in the British Isles.
John Kewley was Captain of the Great Snaefell Mine, Isle of Man. He is remembered for his heroism following the Snaefell Mine Disaster of 1897, during which he displayed extraordinary courage and endurance and for which he received the Medal of the Honourable Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.
The geology of the Isle of Man consists primarily of a thick pile of sedimentary rocks dating from the Ordovician period, together with smaller areas of later sedimentary and extrusive igneous strata. The older strata was folded and faulted during the Caledonian and Acadian orogenies The bedrock is overlain by a range of glacial and post-glacial deposits. Igneous intrusions in the form of dykes and plutons are common, some associated with mineralisation which spawned a minor metal mining industry.
Baldrine is a village in the Isle of Man. It is close to the east coast of the island, about 3 km south of Laxey and 6 km NE of Douglas. It is in the historic parish of Lonan, in the sheading of Garff. For administrative purposes it is in the parish district of Garff, and it is also in the House of Keys constituency of Garff.
Agneash is a small village in the Isle of Man, 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) by road north of Laxey. Agneash Primitive Methodist Chapel opened in 1857.
Media related to Laxey at Wikimedia Commons