The Great Laxey Wheel has been described as a "world famous, iconic site" to industrial archaeologists.

Chairman of the United Kingdom's Association for Industrial Archaeology, Mike Bone, was speaking after his organisation had presented a number of prizes in a ceremony at the Manx Museum.

The President's Award went to Manx National Heritage for its work on and around the wheel, and the annual Merit Award was won by the Manx Transport Museum Group for the Brickyard Office in Peel.

Mr Bone says he and his colleagues were impressed by all the sites they visited, but Laxey Wheel was outstanding:

The association also presented 'Highly Commended' awards to the Laxey Mines Research Group, and the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust.

(Images, left to right: President of the Association For Industrial Archeology, Professor R. Angus Buchanan; Laxey Wheel, from manxscenes.com; Chairman of the AIA, Mike Bone).