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.
The decades of devastation. Crown customs officers replaced the Manx establishment. The garrison was reinforced. The harbours were blockaded and destroyed. The fishing fleet was wrecked. Impressment stripped the Island of its men. The 1792 Commission of Inquiry documented what had been done and recommended remedies that were never implemented. The 1805 Parliamentary debates acknowledged the destruction and voted to send Manx surplus revenues to the Consolidated Fund. The Island paid for its own dispossession.
The Crown Customs Establishment was imposed on the Isle of Man following the Revestment of 1765, replacing the Manx customs system. Charles Lutwidge of Whitehaven was appointed to implement the anti-smuggling laws that accompanied the transfer of sovereignty, wielding almost unchecked influence over the Treasury in the years that followed; Governor Smith described his impunity as a "Curse to the Isle of Man".
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 supernatural smith who resided on the Isle of Man, "of so long-lived or mythic a nature as to be found living in all ages of pagan history." Cuillean — or Guillean — forged the magic sword, spear and shield for Concovar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster. The oracle of Cloghor directed Concovar to travel to the Isle of Man and commission the weapons from Cuillean, and the supernatural power they carried won him the sovereignty of Ulster.
Brash, writing in Antiquitates Manniae, argues that Cuillean may be identical with Manannán mac Lir. The points of identification are several: both are intimately connected with the Isle of Man, both are forgers of supernatural weapons, both are located in Ulster where Manannán is said to have reigned over the provincial fairy kingdom, and both fell into disrepute among the Christians. "Cuillean, too, fell into disrepute among the Christians, as did Mananan."
The Manx Gaelic phrase giolla Guillen — "the servant of Guillean" — survived into modern usage as a synonym for an imp of the devil, carrying the memory of the old smith long after the stories themselves had faded. Cuillean's cave was on Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, still remembered with a mixture of awe and unease in local tradition when O'Kearney recorded it for the Ossianic Society.
Cumberland is a historic county in north-west England bordering the Irish Sea. It was closely connected to the Isle of Man through trade, customs enforcement, and family ties; Whitehaven in Cumberland was the base of the Lutwidge family and a principal port for the customs sloops that patrolled the Irish Sea, and many Manx people maintained links with Cumberland communities.
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.
Two storey, double-fronted, semi-detached house with single storey extensions to rear and east gable. Originally constructed before 1868 (present on Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st edition map of that date).
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: 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.
Medieval carved stone.
This pillar-shaped stone (Manx Cross 3) was noted at least as early as 1885 built into the south wall of the friary church, where it had probably been re-used as a lintel. It bears an incomplete ogham inscription running up one edge, which reads, 'Cunamagli maq...', translated as '(the stone) of Cunamaglus, son of...'.
It is now displayed in the Manx Museum.
The findspot of an early prehistoric flint scatter which consisted of circa 30 pieces including a blade, blade core, thumbnail scraper, waste flakes and cores and a "fragment of slate pencil."
