Without language, without country. The motto of Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh, the Manx Language Society, founded in 1899 by A.W. Moore. The phrase captures the central argument of the language revival movement: that Manx was not a cultural ornament but the medium through which the island knew itself. Without it, the identity survived but in diminished form, like a landscape seen through glass.
An early medieval cross kept in Lonan church. The stone is individually catalogued by antiquarian P.M.C. Kermode as Manx Cross 71 in his standard corpus "Manx Crosses, or The Inscribed and Sculptured Monuments of the Isle of Man" (1907), and was also the subject of an earlier paper by Kermode, "An Early Cross at Lonan, Isle of Man" (1896). Note on ambiguity: Lonan church houses several separately numbered early medieval cross slabs in Kermode's catalogue (including Manx Crosses 27 and 75, among others recorded in Manx National Heritage's collections). It has not been possible to confirm from available sources whether the Historic Environment Record's separate "Hairdwillagh Cross" and "Lonan Church Cross Slab" entries denote the same object (Manx Cross 71) under two names, or two distinct crosses both kept at the church; this is flagged rather than guessed at.
An early medieval cross slab was found here. A cross slab was found here serving as a lintel over a door in a now destroyed building. It is coffin shaped and has beading carved around the slab. It also has an inscription cut upon it. It was taken to Lonan Old Church. Mr Stowell pointed out the site where the cross slab had served as a lintel. It was seen in Lonan Old Church and it bears an inset numbered bronze plaque No. 71. A notice dates it collectively with others as from the 7-9th century.
This large memorial was found in the 1800s at the ruined upland farm of Ballaleaney overlooking Glen Roy, where it had been re-used as a lintel over a doorway. It was broken in two but has been restored to show its original form. The monument takes the form of a wheel-headed slab, on which has been carved a 'Celtic' cross. The lower arm of the cross extends to form a narrow shaft, which is decorated at the top with a spoon-shaped object surrounded by small raised pellets. The cross and ring are both edged with a bead-moulding, and the edge of the slab is similarly decorated with a double moulding so as to frame the cross.
The inner of the mouldings surrounding the slab and the moulding which forms the edge of the cross-shaft combine to form two spirals or 'volutes' which decorate a pedestal on which the cross stands. The spirals are separated by two groups of three raised pellets. The most prominent decoration on the whole slab is the spoon-like symbol at the top of the cross-shaft, which must represent the ladle used in the Eucharist. Close study of the panels to either side of the shaft suggests that there may also have been other more decorative carving, only the faintest vestiges of which may be present.
A cross slab was found here serving as a lintel over a door in a now destroyed building. It is coffin shaped and has beading carved around the slab. It also has an inscription cut upon it. It was removed from here to Lonan Old Church and bears an inset numbered bronze plaque No. 71. A notice dates it collectively with others as from the 7th-9th century.
A Bronze Age barrow with a diameter of 13.0 metres and a height of 1.0 metre on its western side. It is bowl shaped with no ditch. The cairn was opened by the Canon Quine in 1924 who found a stone cist of Bronze Age appearance with a massive cover-slab (PRN 0640.10). It contained calcined bones and a pair of disc beads of jet or lignite. The cist lies on the north side of the top of the mound and is orientated slightly southeast, lined with slabs 0.8 metres long, 0.4 m wide and a present depth of 0.2 metres. The bottom of the cist is above normal ground level.
The feature is mainly grass and fern covered but around the cist is a large quantity of stones field clearing stones.
Mr Stowell, of Riverside said 'The farm on which this barrow is situated is known as Ardwoaillach. I assisted Canon Quine and Dr Bradbury to excavate it many years ago. There was some pottery in the cist, I believe, and a pea-sized bead of a wonderful colour blue. This is now in the Manx Museum'. This was possibly a Faience bead, and there were two other beads of jet or lignite from here, now in the Manx Museum.
The cist within the barrow PRN 0640.00. It is located on the north side of the top of the mound, is orientated east-west and measured 1.5 by 0.9 metres and depth is 0.5 metres. It is lined with slabs 0.8 metres long, and 0.4 metres wide. The bottom of the cist lies above the surrounding ground level. The mound was covered by grass and ferns when recorded and around the cist is a large quantity of field clearance stones.
Dr Bradbury reported a stone circle, two-thirds destroyed with the stones used in fences. He may have noted this now lost feature when working with the Canon Quine, who excavated the Hairdwillagh Burial Mound in the area in 1924.
Late/Post medieval gun battery. The round, or 'Half Moon' battery was built during the reign of Henry VIII. It originally provided two embrasures for cannon (one of which was reconstructed in the 19th century in the wrong position). It was intended to protect the mouth of Peel harbour, though it may never have been particularly effective.
Over 2000 Mesolithic flint flakes were found in a small pit underneath the Half-Moon Battery during excavations by Gelling in 1982. Analysis of these by R. Smart revealed that they had Pennine affinities rather than the expected Irish or “Bann” type. They form a very restricted range of types and appeared to indicate a somewhat impoverished occupation site.
The names of 7 crew members are then listed, followed by the name of the child. Second World War. The memorial is a stone wall on which three black marble plaques are affixed. The central plaque is engraved with Candian flags. There is an area underneath the central plaque where wreaths of poppies can be hung.
The memorial was unveiled by Deemster M. Kerruish on 7 October 2006 and dedicated by the Reverend Bill Martin, Vicar of Laxey. The memorial was funded by members of the Laxey Branch of the Royal British Legion.
A post-medieval bridge at Lower Foxdale. The Rev. J.G. Cumming, in "The Isle of Man" in 1848 recorded that: "A little lower down by the road-side near Hamilton bridge is a very pretty waterfall, which in rainy weather pours down a full torrent some thirty feet over a ledge of clay-schist into a wooded hollow. Hence the valley downwards is of a very fine character, and becomes more and more impressive as we descend. It is refreshing after the desolate, treeless wildness of the granite district, to look upon such a rich combination of wood, water and rock, valley and fell, which here presents itself before us."
Hammersley, the Duke of Atholl's London agent at the time of the Revestment.
He was the man the Manx merchants went to when they realised what was being negotiated. Hugh Cosnahan and a fellow examinant travelled to London on the merchants' business, taking John Christian, then a merchant in Douglas, to assist in mercantile matters. Being already acquainted with Hammersley as the Duke's agent, they waited on him as soon as they arrived to learn what was doing or had been done respecting the affairs of the Isle of Man, and told him they thought the inhabitants extremely ill used by the Duke in not having been timely acquainted with the treaty carried on between the Government and his Grace. Hammersley was surprised that they had not been told. He said that Mr Quayle had directions from the Duke to apprise the inhabitants of what was going forward respecting the sale of the Island, and turning to Quayle he put it to him directly that he had been given those directions.
The failure became part of the Manx case afterwards. One account of the transactions holds that the Atholl family was itself in total ignorance of its rights in the Island, and that Quayle, for private reasons of his own, neglected to inform the people of the negotiation then pending although ordered to do so both by his employer the Duke and by Hammersley as his agent. On that reading the bargain was forced on the Atholl family while they were ignorant of what they were parting with, and the Crown bought a great deal more than it had asked for.
He handled the ordinary money as well. Governor Cochrane reported in February 1758 that the clergy were waiting for an answer from Mr Hammersley before they could divide their money.
Second World War. Slate plaque engraved with RAF emblem. Affixed to the gable wall of Ballaragh Farmhouse. The plaque was unveiled by Air Vice Marshall Ian McFadyen (then Lieutenant Governor of the Island) with a very moving tribute to the difficulties faced by young airmen equipped with the low-tech navigational aids of the time. Ft Lt R. Savage (a resident of Ballaragh) was in attendance, aged 80, having himself trained on Hampdens during the Second World War.
The Castle Rushen Papers contain a document dated 1627 which records the locations of watch stations around the Isle of Man from which a coastal look-out was kept.
The site of the night watch-station for the parish of Lezayre was at 'Hangman's Hill', which is believed to refer to Vowlan. The coastline of Lezayre is quite short, and this is probably the only location suitable for the Night Watch. Bersu's interpretation as a raiding party's defence is based on rather outdated views of Viking activity in the Irish Sea from the late 8th century onwards, and it would seem more appropriate to see the site as performing a function associated with policing the coastline and perhaps also overseeing beach markets.
Defended promontory. Earthwork remains survive on a raised rocky triangular promontory on south side of the narrow channel between St Michael's Isle and Langness.
The interior is surrounded by a bank except for a 20m strip to the south east. A pathway to the entrance is grooved with shallow steps cut into a natural shelf in the rock. This may also have served as a slipway for small boats. The entrance takes the form of a scooped hollow through the bank, 4m wide at the base and 9m wide across the top. The scooping of the entrance continues well into the interior of the fort.
The strength of the perimeter bank is variable, in some places surviving to maximal widths of 4 to 6m and heights of 1.1 to 1.6m above the interior. Elsewhere it is weaker and more fragmentary with an average width of 1.5m and an average height of 0.4m. No outer ditch is necessary and there is no visible trace of internal structures.
Limited excavation in 2000 recovered gorse charcoal dated to the 11th and 13th centuries. This may represent the firepit of a beacon serving as part of a watch and ward system of coastal defence.
Low coastal mound and historic execution site at the head of Castletown Bay, near Ronaldsway.
Hango Hill was also known as Mount Strange, from one of the titles of the Derby family. During the seventeenth century a blockhouse was raised there as part of James Stanley's strengthening of the southern defences. Chaloner's account of the Island described defensive works at several points, including the Point of Ayre, Ballachurry in Andreas, Hango Hill and the harbour of Ronaldsway or Derbyhaven.
The site was also used for executions. The Kirk Malew register records that in 1654 William Kewish and Robert Callow of Kirk Maughold were hanged on the gallows at Hango Hill on 31 August for the murder of a man named Cottiam of the same parish. They were buried in Kirk Malew churchyard, in the way down from the porch.
William Christian of Ronaldsway was executed there on 2 January 1663. The Malew register states that he was shot to death at Hango Hill, died most penitently and courageously, prayed earnestly, made an excellent speech and was buried the following day in the chancel of Kirk Malew.
Hango Hill also formed part of an educational endowment. In 1668 the estates of Ballagilley and Hango Hill were granted to trustees for an academic students' fund. The rents later contributed towards the foundation and support of King William's College at Castletown. Bishop Barrow's bequest referred to a lease valued at £20 a year from Ballagilley and Hango Hill for the maintenance of boys at the proposed academic school.
The gallows survived in local folklore. William Cashen recorded a story that a heavy sea once washed the gallows from Hango Hill and carried them round the west coast to the Niarbyl. Southside fishermen then mocked the westside men with the claim that even the gallows had gone round west to hang the men of Dalby.
The prominence of Hango Hill itself suggests a potential origin as a prehistoric burial mound. The original date and form of the mound is unknown, but the recovery of a bronze flat axe (see record 0085) implies a possible Bronze Age date.
