Manx National Heritage
Encyclopedia
Manx National Heritage is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man
. It was established in 1951 as the Manx National Trust, and its legal title is the Manx Museum and National Trust.
Manx National Heritage is responsible for:
and subsequently Celtic occupation (Peel Castle, House of Mannanán
); to the Middle Ages
(Rushen Abbey, Castle Rushen); life during the 19th century (Cregneash, Laxey Wheel); and up to the present day (Manx Museum).
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. It was established in 1951 as the Manx National Trust, and its legal title is the Manx Museum and National Trust.
Overview
- The Manx National Museum Service (which runs twelve museum sites)
- The National Monuments Service (which protects monuments, manages the National Monuments Record and controls archaeological investigations)
- The National Trust Service (which preserves and protects areas of natural beauty and ecological significance)
- The National Archive
- The National Art Gallery
Museums
Manx National Heritage runs the following museums:- Castle RushenCastle RushenCastle Rushen is a medieval castle located in the Isle of Man's historic capital, Castletown in the south of the island. It towers over the Market Square to the south-east and the harbour to the north-east...
, Castletown - Cregneash Folk Village, CregneashCregneashCregneash or Cregneish is a remote village situated on Mull Hill in the south of the Isle of Man.Annual Manx festivals are held in Cregneash and it is home to a flock of the rare four-horned Loaghtan sheep. Much of the village forms a "Living Museum" dedicated to the preservation of the...
- Gibbs of the Grove, RamseyRamsey, Isle of ManRamsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
- House of Manannan, Peel
- The Great Laxey Wheel & Mines Trail, Laxey WheelLaxey WheelThe Laxey Wheel is a large waterwheel built in the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man. Designed by Robert Casement, it has a diameter, is wide and revolves at approximately three revolutions per minute.-History:...
, LaxeyLaxeyLaxey is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'.The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens, with Dhoon Glen being located close by... - Manx Museum, DouglasDouglas, Isle of Manright|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
- The Nautical Museum, Castletown
- The Old Grammar School, Castletown
- The Old House of KeysOld House of KeysThe Old House of Keys is the former meeting place of the House of Keys, the lower house of Tynwald, the Isle of Man's parliament. It is located in Castletown, the former capital of the Isle of Man, in the south of the island...
, Castletown - Peel CastlePeel Castlethumb|250px|right|Chancel of the Cathedral of St. GermanPeel Castle is a castle in Peel, Isle of Man originally constructed by Vikings. The castle stands on St Patrick's Isle which is connected to the town by causeway...
, Peel - Rushen AbbeyRushen AbbeyRushen Abbey was an abbey on the Isle of Man, located near Ballasalla. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under Cistercian control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located two miles from Castle Rushen; the most important political entity on the island...
, BallasallaBallasallaBallasalla is a village in the parish of Malew in the south-east of the Isle of Man, close to the town of Castletown. The village was built mostly from the ruins of the nearby Rushen Abbey, a Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century and dissolved in the 16th century.-Governance:The local... - Sound CentreCalf SoundCalf Sound is a body of water which separates the Calf of Man island from the mainland of the Isle of Man. The sound - technically a strait - is about 700 yards in width, and contains the small islet of Kitterland .A visitor centre overlooking the Calf Sound holds multimedia exhibits giving...
, Calf Sound, near CregneashCregneashCregneash or Cregneish is a remote village situated on Mull Hill in the south of the Isle of Man.Annual Manx festivals are held in Cregneash and it is home to a flock of the rare four-horned Loaghtan sheep. Much of the village forms a "Living Museum" dedicated to the preservation of the...
The Story of Mann
The Story of Mann encompasses all of the above sites and more as part of a project intended to enhance people's knowledge of the Isle's history and culture. The Story of Mann sites focus on a range of time periods, from the Isle's early history of VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
and subsequently Celtic occupation (Peel Castle, House of Mannanán
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
); to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
(Rushen Abbey, Castle Rushen); life during the 19th century (Cregneash, Laxey Wheel); and up to the present day (Manx Museum).
Site and field monuments
The following monuments are under the protection of Manx National Heritage:- Balladoole
- The Braaid
- Cashtal Yn Ard
- Cronk ny MerriuCronk ny MerriuCronk ny Merriu is one of the remains of promontory forts in the Isle of Man. Close to Port Grenaugh, this site dates back almost 2,000 years. The bank and ditch of Iron Age date created a defensive promontory fort at Cronk ny Merriu...
- The Manx Stone Cross Collection
- Meayll Hill
- St Michael's Isle
Heritage assets
The following properties are under the protection of Manx National Heritage:- The AyresPoint of AyreThe Point of Ayre is the northernmost point of the Isle of Man. It lies at the northern end of Ramsey Bay north of the town of Ramsey. The point can be accessed by the A16 road from Bride....
- The CurraghsCurragh (habitat)The Curraghs, also known as the Ballaugh Curraghs is an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man. The area has a rich and varied biodiversity and is also the location of the Curraghs Wildlife Park, a zoo and nature reserve that incorporates the wetlands.- History :During the Ice Age the...
- Eary Cushlin & Creggan Mooar
- The Dhoon and Bulgham Brooghs
- Killabrega
- Land seaward of the Marine Drive
- Lower Silverdale
- Maughold HeadMaughold HeadMaughold Head is the easternmost point of the Isle of Man and the closest point in the Isle of Man to England, being 50 kilometres from St. Bees Head in Cumbria....
& Brooghs. Gob ny Rona - NiarbylNiarbyl, Isle of Manthumb|right|250px|View to the south across Niarbyl Bay of the southwest coastline of Isle of Man and [[Calf of Man]].Niarbyl, which means "the tail" in Manx for the way it extends into the Irish Sea, is a settlement along the southwest coast of Isle of Man between Port Erin and Peel...
- The SoundCalf SoundCalf Sound is a body of water which separates the Calf of Man island from the mainland of the Isle of Man. The sound - technically a strait - is about 700 yards in width, and contains the small islet of Kitterland .A visitor centre overlooking the Calf Sound holds multimedia exhibits giving...
and the Calf of ManCalf of ManCalf of Man, sometimes known as the Calf of Mann , is a island , off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it is part of the parish of Rushen. It... - Upper Ballaharry
- Raad ny FoillanRaad ny Foillanis a long distance footpath in the Isle of Man.-Route and history:The starts and finishes at the Millennium Bridge over Douglas Harbour...