The site of a cliff-top Iron Age promontory fort. The natural defences consist of a precipitous drop in the West and steep slopes to re-entrants on the north and south. To complete the defence in the unprotected east side an outer ditch, average 5.0 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep from the outer lip, has been constructed from re-entrant to re-entrant. Unlike the typical promontory forts on the Isle of Man, the interior of the fort, which is grass and gorse covered and shows no trace of internal construction, is at approximate the same level as the surrounding ground. To compensate for this a stronger than usual inner bank has been provided, 1.0 metres upper width, 3.0 metres outer height and 2.8 metres inner height. There is no trace of an entrance and part of the inner bank is eroding away.
An emergency excavation was carried out here in 1958-9 of a disturbed burial site revealed by ploughing at Crosby Farm, Bride. The site consisted of a megalithic capstone above a shallow pit filled with charcoal. The excavation yielding no datable finds.
This was the site of a now lost stone which may have been a large erratic boulder of felspathic sandstone or grit, but possibly a prehistoric standing stone which had been set up on end to mark the site of a burial place. It was inclined to the southeast and measured 1.7 metres high by 1.9 metres wide by 1.0 metre thick at the base and was approximate 1.0 metres square at the top. A number of small probable field clearing stones were placed around it. No trace of a mound was found. It was not a rubbing post.
Prehistoric spindle whorl.
A stone spindle whorl, of Bronze or Iron Age date, was found in the Crosby vicarage garden by the donor, and given to the Manx Museum in 1931.
The spindle whorl is of a reddish stone,and measures 33mm in diameter.
The object is in the Manx National Heritage collections, accession no. 1954-2928.
Neolithic burial cairn. This much-damaged cairn has been plundered of stone for use in nearby field boundaries. It is obscured by gorse but measures approximately 20m in diameter and is raised up to 1.2m above the level of the neighbouring field. The field boundary to the north and west may incorporate part of the body of the cairn. Internal structures, apparently representing chambers or passages, have been noted in the past.
The supposed site of a "crosh" mound, which was a medieval or later coffin rest used when carrying a coffin for burial along the old road to the parish church. A feature consisting of a small mound of earth, 1.8 metres x 1.2 metres x 0.9 metres high, with a dry stone wall facing of large stones on its eastern side. The mound is situated just below the crest of the gorse covered slope. Its age and purpose are unknown but it may have some connection with the tradition of coffin rest.
The site of an early medieval keeill and burial ground which were located in the field numbered 704 on the 1884 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map. Lintel graves have been found within the field, even during ploughing in modern times, just inside the gate at the southwest corner of the field. The name Crosh Pharlane is remembered locally.
The site of an early medieval keeill which was located in the field numbered 704 on the 1884 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map. Lintel graves have been found within the field, even during ploughing in modern times, just inside the gate at the southwest corner of the field. The name Crosh Pharlane is remembered locally.
The oldest mine in the Foxdale group, dating from prior to 1810, was the Cross Vein mine, known as Cronk Vane (White Cross) in Manx. The Engine house, with its square chimney, survives behind the square-sectioned Engine Shaft. It is usually known as 'Snuff the Wind' because of its prominent siting. The structures have been consolidated. The older, circular-sectioned East Shaft is still visible.
The findspot of an important flint scatter of Mesolithic or Neolithic date. Cowley collected more than 50 scrapers, circa 40 knife blades, 16 arrowheads and an axehead and thought these represented a settlement site. A Group VI axehead and a group of worked flints, including a barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, cores, blades, flakes, scrapers, microliths and micro-burins, found by Cowley in the 1920s-40s are now in the Manx Museum Cowley Collection.
Mr & Mrs Megaw subsequently found another arrowhead and plano-convex knives, which suggest the site is Neolithic. LS Garrad also collected material. The site is now sealed under road.
Prehistoric flint scatter.
A significant quantity of worked prehistoric flint was recovered from 'Cross Vein, Glen Rushen' by CH Cowley.
The mine is located at the grid reference provided for indicative purposes.
The antiquary Charles Harry Cowley was an avid collector of worked flint and coarse stone artefacts revealed by agricultural activity, mainly on farms located around Peel, and occasionally from further afield. He was active from 1900 until 1943. His entire collection of artefacts, together with a daybook cataloguing his discoveries, was later donated to Manx National Heritage.
A cross slab found at St Bride's Church. It measures 31 inches high, with a maximum width of 16 inches and minimum width of 9.5 inches and a thickness of 6.5 inches. It is recorded as Manx Cross No.58.
The findspot of a broken plain Bronze age cinerary urn, originally about 30.5cm high, which was found circa 1903 by Mr D. Davies and presented to the NHAS in 1906.
A slab with a Celtic type cross incised in relief on one face (Manx Cross No. 69). Guriad's Cross comes from Ballaterson Keeill (PRN 0599.50) and has the Crux Guriat inscription. It is thought to be of 9th century date. It measures 115.5 centimetres high x 30 centimetres maximum width and 10 centimetres thick.
The apparent site of an early medieval keeill or chapel, which would have been in use during the period circa AD500-AD1000. It was located on the east side of Port-y-Vullen where a cottage now stands in the plot numbered as No. 674 on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map. A Mr Cowin and others from the neighbourhood remembered seeing lintel graves ploughed up here. The large cross-slab (Manx Cross No. 69) which is now kept at the parish church appears to have been taken from this cemetery. For many years it was set on the hedge by the highroad.
This large slab was found at Ballaterson (IOMHER 0599.00). It was moved to the nearby roadside hedge before 1841, and thence to the parish churchyard in 1894. The slab bears five raised bosses laid at equal distance in the form of a cross. The bosses are surrounded by a double ring, which is supported on a shaft rising from a flat pedestal, so as to create a wheel-headed cross on a narrow shaft. The creation of this large memorial would have been a truly monumental task as its design required the whole of one face of the stone to be dressed back to a considerable depth so that the five bosses would stand in relief.
The design is most unusual for the Isle of Man, and its nearest parallels are to be found in Scotland. A short Latin inscription in Irish-Saxon letters on the right-hand edge of the stone reads 'Crux Guriat', which translates simply as "the cross of Guriat", a distinctively Brythonic personal name which hints at links with north Wales or southern Scotland.
A broken cross-slab found when the keeill (PRN 0402.00) was excavated by P.M.C. Kermode in 1911. It was inscribed with a Celtic cross and circle within a rectangular panel. The slab was also decorated with bird's heads, crosslets, animals and several names, the letters of which were suggestive of a 7th or early 8th century date. The slab measures 58.5 centimetres x 51 centimetres x 3.8 centimetres. It is now kept in Bride parish church.
A broken slab, incised with a ringed Celtic cross and Roman name. Found by Kermode during excavations at Ballavarkish in 1910-1911. It measures 23 inches x 20 inches x 1.5 inches and is kept at St Bride's Church.
This broken slab was found at Ballavarkish keeill (IOMHER 0402.00) during excavations undertaken by the Manx Archaeological Survey in 1912. The surviving portion bears a 'Celtic' cross and ring set within a rectangular panel. It would originally have served as the front panel of an altar. The soft stone has been the target of pilgrims' graffiti, and is marked with Christian symbols - birds' heads, a monk, a lamb, and several small crosses followed by Celtic men's names which are rendered in Latin form: Lugni, Diprui, Maborai and Condilici.
The crosses are regarded as invocation to pray for the individual whose name follows. These graffiti would have been carved during vigils or devotions in front of the altar by clerics and visiting pilgrims, and shows that these people were literate in Latin. The original stone is on display at the Manx Museum.
A two storey, double-fronted, semi-detached house with single storey extensions to its rear and east gable. The house was originally a single-storey structure with a thatched roof, until an additional, slate-roofed storey was added in the 1930s.
Old photographs suggest that Cummel Beg is older than its neighbour Creg y Shee (0046.04). Prior to the addition of the extra storey and rendering, a straight joint and trapped quoinstones on the west gable of Cummel Beg were apparent. It would also appear that only the left hand, or westerly, of the rooms in the original cottage had a hearth.
The property was acquired by the Manx Museum and National Trust in 1973.