Island factfile - Historic buildings
As the Isle of Man has passed through different hands over the years, the influence of its various rulers and inhabitants has been literally preserved in stone. To this day, a huge variety of historic buildings earmark stages in the Island's social development - from tiny thatched cottages to impressive limestone castles, Victorian promenades to concrete and glass office blocks...and a number of quirky architectural oddities in between.
The earliest attempts at construction can be seen in the many fine stone circles and monuments found throughout the Island. Some date back to Neolithic times and their designs and increasing sophistication chart the transition from pagan beliefs to Christian conversion and the strong cultural influence of the Vikings and Celts. In terms of historical significance, the greatest man-made construction in the Isle of Man is also one of the oldest and simplest.
The four-tiered mound of earth known as Tynwald Hill, opposite St John's Chapel, may have originally started off as a burial mound but was adopted by the Vikings over a thousand years ago for the business of open-air law making and other matters of government. Its location, linked by a processional pathway to a place of worship and court house (within the chapel) and surrounded by a green, follows the Norse tradition for the site of a Government assembly or Thing-vollr.
Christianity had already taken hold among the local Celtic population, introduced by missionaries who started arriving in the fifth century. These early priests lived and worked in tiny, primitive earth sod chapels or Keeils, built on over 200 sites throughout the Island.
By medieval times the focus of Manx Christian life was Rushen Abbey, home to an order of Cistercian monks who accumulated great wealth through mining rights and land ownership. The abbey was established in 1134 with a limestone Church, Infirmary, Chapter House, Guest House, Refectory, Abbot's House and Dormitory, though many of these buildings fell into decay following the dissolution of 1540. The Abbey is now owned by the Manx Government however and the subject of a major archaeological and restoration programme.
The Cistercian Order also founded the Nunnery on the outskirts of Douglas. The exact origins of this magnificent estate are unknown but the site is known to date from at least the early 1400s. All that remains of the original monastery is a chapel dedicated to St Bridget and the current house, which is now in private hands, wasn't completed until 1830.
A similarly ancient private estate is Bishopscourt, just north of Kirk Michael, which was home to successive Bishops of Sodor and Man from the mid-thirteenth century to 1980. The original house was made of timber and replaced by the present castellated stone building in the eighteenth century.
Other historic estates include Great Meadow in Malew, notable for being continuously occupied by the same family for over four hundred years.
In the old days however, most Manx people were simple crofters (smallholders) or fishermen who lived in thatched, stone cottages, divided into one or two rooms with a large open hearth or 'chiollagh' at the gable end and dirt flooring. The best original examples are those maintained by the Manx National Heritage at Cregneash Folk Museum. One in particular, occupied up until the 1930s by a crofter called Harry Kelly, is a typical single-storey thatched building dating back to the early eighteenth century and still furnished with many of his traditional pieces.
Further north, a pretty little dwelling known as 'Molly Caroon's cottage' sits tucked away in Onchan's Church Road as a poignant reminder of how simply many Manx people used to live. There are, however, many 'living' cottages dotted around the Island which, although modernised inside, help to retain the Island's traditional appearance and this is further preserved by the application of Conservation Areas and a Building Register.
Those that have become derelict are known as tholtans. Many of these roofless ruins seen scattered throughout the countryside still have an elder or 'tramman' tree growing alongside - harking back to the days when elders were believed to provide a home for the fairies and keep the witches away. If the derelict buildings were pulled down, it was feared the fairies would desert the tree and leave behind bad luck.
The differing appearance of most traditional urban dwellings used to be dictated largely by the availability of materials (eg. Peel is dominated by red sandstone terraces, Castletown has plenty of grey limestone) or social needs (eg. Douglas promenade was formed by terraced Victorian guest houses). In more recent decades, buildings tend to follow any number of styles regardless of their location, though most twentieth century suburban housing is generally terraced, semi-detached or detached, built of brick or stone, tiled in grey Manx slate and finished in pebble-dash, whitewash or muted pastels. Many older buildings are being knocked down to make way for new developments and apartment buildings but strict planning criteria mean new structures must generally fit into their surroundings.
Commercial premises built in the guise of original buildings include the castellated Falcon Cliff overlooking Douglas Bay and an office block built on Douglas Head that replicates Fort Anne, the demolished former home of RNLI founder Sir William Hillary. Douglas is also home to examples of work by two leading British architects who made their mark here at the turn of the last century.
Art Nouveau designer Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott lived and worked on the Island in the 1890s and some of his distinctive buildings include the Onchan Church Hall, Majestic Hotel and a number of houses in Little Switzerland. During the same period the nationally respected theatre designer Frank Matcham was also busy overseeing construction of the glorious Gaiety Theatre which opened on Douglas promenade in 1900 and is one of the world's finest surviving Victorian theatres. A distinctive feature of its design was the use of multiple entrances, exits and box offices for the different social classes so they didn't have to bump into each other while attending the theatre!
The Isle of Man is blessed with two of Britain's finest castles, namely those in Peel and Castletown. Peel Castle was built on St Patrick's Isle under Papal licence by William Le Scrope in 1392. It was constructed out of local red sandstone and although the buildings are largely roofless shells, the fine curtain wall is still impressively solid. The Cathedral of St German built within the castle walls is the oldest Celtic cathedral in the British Isles.
Further south, Castle Rushen has been watching over Castletown since the thirteenth century. The imposing limestone fortress is one of the most complete castles in the British Isles and has been 'brought alive' by Manx National Heritage with lifelike figures and medieval-style furnishings. The oldest part of it is the lower keep, built by the Norse king Magnus in about 1250, the highest tower is eighty feet high and the walls are up to twelve feet thick. For many years the Castle was used as the seat of Government and as the Island's prison. It is still used for register office weddings and court proceedings.
Another important strategic defence point for the south of the Island was St Michael's Island (aka Fort Island), connected to Langness peninsula by a narrow causeway. The uninhabited Island is now owned by the Manx National Heritage which protects its sixteenth century round fort, small roofless twelfth century chapel and early rectangular earthern fort. On nearby Langness is one of the Isle of Man's many curious Towers.
The cylindrical Herring Tower was built in the days when Derbyhaven was the Island's chief fishing port and would carry a lighted flare to guide the herring fleet home. Other towers demonstrate the nineteenth century zeal for constructing large commemorative monuments.
The square, 45 foot high, Albert Tower overlooking Ramsey was erected on Lhergy Frissel hill in honour of an unscheduled visit to the area by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, in 1847. The royal yacht had moored in Ramsey bay to escape bad weather and while the Queen stayed on board, her Consort walked to the top of the hill to admire the view.
On the other side of the Island, Corrin's Folly was built on Peel Hill as a mausoleum for a non-Conformist who wished to be buried outside consecrated ground. When he died, however, his plan was deemed illegal and so the building was never used as intended.
Milner's Tower on Bradda Head is equally curious, though more for its shape than its purpose. It's said to represent a key in memory of the Liverpool safemaker and philanthropist William Milner whose generosity helped the poor people of Port Erin.
When arriving in the Isle of Man by sea it's impossible to ignore Douglas Bay's Tower of Refuge, built on Conister Rock in 1832 to help shipwrecked sailors. The building of the tower was organised by Douglas Head resident and RNLI founder Sir William Hillary following an especially hazardous sea rescue. At low tide it's possible to reach Conister rock by walking along the old cast-iron sewer outfall.
Acknowledgements: Manx Heritage Foundation