A non stop photographic journey around the beautiful Isle of Man by Peter Killey
A lovely walk today to another beautiful old Manx Tholtan, this particular Tholtan is called Croit and is on the sloapes between Druidale and Sulby Reservoir. Makes you appreciate just how lucky we are to have such a wonderful countryside on our Island. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
This small group of tholtans are situated deep in the trees in the heart of Tholt y Will Plantation, Craigmooar means Great Rock or Crag. Craigmooar belongs to a small group of nearby hill farms (now tholtans) namely Killabrega, Sherragh Vane and Bulrhenny. It is believed that Craigmooar was about 80 acres in total and apparently In 1874, there was a woman and her daughter recorded living here as being unable to speak anything other than Manx, probably some of the last people to be like that on the Island. This particular group of tholtans took some finding but it was well worth it and makes you realise just how hard life would have been for the inhabitants of these isolated hill farms. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
Old Thatching Stones on Sherragh Vane Tholtan in Tholt y Will Plantation in Sulby. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
The site of an old slate quarry workings at the foot of Sartfell Mountain, this old quarry is clearly visible when looking approximately South-East from the TT Course half-way up Barregarrow Hill. This quarry originally employed about twenty quarrymen, many of whom were Welsh, who came over to the Island following the closures of quarries in their homeland. It closed in about 1874 due to the poor quality of the slate and the buildings subsequently fell into disrepair. The ruins are those of the blacksmiths shop, stables, a pay office and accommodation for the men. The belfry at the end of building deceptively gives it the appearance of an old church. In fact, the bell which it once housed was used to signal the beginning and ending of the mens work shifts, which ran day and night. The old quarry building is very desolate and quite a hard place to get to it has very steep slopes and ravines to cross and a good set of walking boots are a must. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
High up in Tholt y Will Plantation in Sulby you will find these crofters ruins which was the setting of a poem by T.E. Brown, called ‘Kitty of the Sherragh Vane’, an extract of this famous Manx Poem is below; Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view. Well, I tell ye, the first time ever I seen her, She wasn’ much more till a baby – six years, maybe,would have been her age; and the little clogs at her, clitter-clatter, and her little hand in mine, to show me the way, you’ll understand, down yander brew, and me a stranger too, that was lost on the mountain; And the little sowl in the house all alone, and for her to be goin the best part of a mile – bless the chile! Till she got me right – and not a bit shy, not her Nor freckened, but talkin away as purty as a woman of thirty- And-“That’s the way down to the School,” says she, “and Saul and me is goin there every day; you’ll easy find the way! – and turns, and off like a bird on the wing, Aw, a bright little thing.
This old abandoned farm sits high up above the Sulby valley and is typical of those found in the upland areas of the Island, the remains of the horse driven mill and a small orchard are still visible, my records show that John and Lisa Kinrade were still resident at the farm as late as the 1943. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
This lovely old, once loved building at Cronkdoo is set low in the valley near to Druidale and is now where the hill sheep from the area go inside for shelter. You can also make out the rusty corn mill cogs to the rear of the old building. Whenever I visit these old Tholtan type buildings I realise just how hard life must have been for these old Manx Crofters. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
This Manx Tholtan is high above the hills of Ballaugh Mountain, Bullrenney in Manx means (Ferny Place). Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
On the steep sloapes overlooking the Tholt y Will Valley in Sulby lies a number of derelict Manx Tholtans and are called the Corrady, the last time I visited this area in 2004 the roof of this particular Tholtan was truly intact See 2004 image Both the below images were captured on my Nikon D80 DSLR Camera with a Nikon 18-105 F3.5/5.6 G AFS DX lens, cropped and resized in Adobe Photoshop CS6. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page – Click on any of the images for a larger view.
We went for a beautiful walk this evening up to “The Forgotten Valley” at Glen Dhoo in Ballaugh. Glen Dhoo in Manx Gaelic simply means “Black Glen” because when the sun is sinking in the sky and disappears behind the hill the Glen is cast into shade. This forgotten valley is untouched and absolutely beautiful and this lovely little Manx Tholtan, better known as “The Port” or “Phurt” has a small stream running past the front of it. The images were all captured on my Sony HX20V camera, resized and cropped in Adobe Photoshop CS6. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on any of the images for a larger view.