Ballaugh ('town of the lake') is a village on the A3 about seven miles west of Ramsey, notable for its old parish church of St Mary de Ballaugh, first recorded in a Papal Bull of 1231. Bishop Thomas Wilson added a baroque west front in 1717, and in 1830-32 the parish voted to build a new, larger church nearer the village centre, leaving the atmospheric old church and its churchyard - home to a runic cross erected, per Kermode's classic reading, by Thorlaf son of Thorjolf in memory of his own son Olave (a separate modern transliteration instead gives Olaf Liotulfson, in memory of his son Ulf) - as a separate historic site by the coast.
A fragment of a Viking sword consisting of the hilt and part of the blade (0429.10) and an iron spear-head (0429.20) were dug up here in 1824 from a depth of approximately 2 metres deep in gravel in the village of Ballaugh. It is thought probable that the deposit represents a burial in a low barrow.
Modern watermill. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a watermill at this location, annotated as 'Ballaughton Mill (Flour)'. The mills at Ballaughton were later acquired by the Woolf's Brewery & Mineral Water Co Ltd, formed in February 1889 by Edward Samuel Woolf (owner of the South Cheshire Brewery, Crewe, who had taken over Douglas's Castle Hill Brewery in 1880); the mills were converted into a brewery, which was inaugurated in November 1889.
Modern watermill.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a watermill at this location, annotated as 'Ballaughton Mill (Flour)'.
The building is still standing, though much altered.
Modern weir.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a weir at this location on the River Dhoo, from which water was drawn off to power Ballaughton Mill.
The weir still exists.
Modern mill leat.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a 180m leat leading water from the River Dhoo to power Ballaughton Mill.
Parts of the leat still survive to the north of the main road to Castletown.
Modern watermill.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a water mill at this location, annotated as 'T. Mill'.
The mill has been demolished, the site cleared and returned to agriculture.
Modern millpond.
The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867-8 depicts a water mill at this location, annotated as 'T. Mill'.
The millpond lay to the north of the threshing mill, contained behind a dam along its southern side. The millpond was fed from a spring just a few metres to the north.
The size of the pond has been substantially reduced and the dam is no longer apparent; water is directed southwards towards the Middle River by way of field drains.
A small-scale emergency excavation of a flat-bottomed ditch at Ballavair by Garrad in 1984-85 revealed evidence of Iron Age habitation. Fieldwalking produced stone pounders and flints from the vicinity, but these were thought to be of early prehistoric date (PRN 0376.10).
A flint scatter consisting of 26 flints, which include cores, waste flakes and unworked nodules. They were collected by a donor from Ballavaish Beg, German. They were found in the field numbered 1275 on the 1869 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map, from an area to the east of the centre of the field.
The location of a prehistoric funerary site, where a funerary urn was found. It was located in the field numbered 1412 on the 1869 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map by William Cubbon.
The site of the burial ground of an early medieval keeill or chapel, which would have been in use between circa AD500 and AD1000. Its location is marked on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map, on the lawned area to the north of the mansion of Ballavale.
It is thought that the 1870 Ordnance Survey map may be incorrect, as it is said that the keeill and burial ground may lie closer to, or beneath, Ballavale House, because lintel graves of early medieval type were found when the foundations of the present house were excavated.
The name of the keeill is lost, and there is no further memory of it.
The site of an early medieval keeill or chapel, which would have been in use between circa AD500 and circa AD1000. Its location is marked on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map, on the lawned area to the north of the mansion of Ballavale.
It is thought that the 1870 Ordnance Survey map may be incorrect, as it is said that the keeill and burial ground may lie closer to, or beneath, Ballavale House, because lintel graves of early medieval type were found when the foundations of the present house were excavated.
The name of the keeill is lost, and there is no further memory of it. A stone basin from the keeill, thought to have been a font, but more likely a knocking-stone for bruising barley, was presented by Mr Martin to the Manx Museum.
A possible cup-marked boulder built into a wall opposite the Wesleyan Chapel on the old Castletown road. It was noted and sketched by P.M.C. Kermode in the early 20th century.
