The Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society (IOMNHAS) will begin its summer programme of excursions tomorrow (Saturday) giving an insight into the heritage of the Manx landscape and the island’s wildlife, flora and fauna.
The excursion will be led by new IoMNHAS president Ian Burrell and is an afternoon ‘walk through time’ along the byways of the Santon area entitled ‘The Old, Old Castletown Road’.
Those wishing to join the walk should meet at 2pm in the Kirk Sanctain car park (up the hill and next left from the Port Grenaugh turn if heading south along the Old Castletown Road from Douglas and Port Soderick), at map reference SC 311712.
Next month, from May 9-13, IOMNHAS members will be heading on a field trip (fully booked) to explore how the other island the Romans called Mona - Anglesey in North Wales - compares and contrasts with the Isle of Man, but on the following Tuesday (May 17) there will be a guided evening walk at Lezayre, near Ramsey, entitled ‘Curphey - Farrant’s Ballakillingan’, led by Mr and Mrs Julian Edwards, Ballakillingan’s owners. As well as guiding the walk, the Edwards will be giving a talk on the history of the property and its landscaped grounds, which were primarily laid out in the 19th century by William Farrant (1789-1852) of Ballamoar Castle, who married the estate’s heiress, Susanna Eleanora Curphey (1797-1879) and became Captain of the Parish and an MHK. Those wishing to take part in the Ballakillingan walk should meet at 6.30pm in the Lezayre Church Hall Car Park (map reference SC422942) at 6.30pm.
The next excursion on the programme will be heading to the north east of the island on Saturday, June 18, for ‘Three “Legs” in Maughold’, led by Prof Mark Noel and Tony Cain. They will be taking participants on walks across fields to three of the many ancient sites to be found in Maughold parish. Prof Noel will lead members to two chapel sites, Keeill Michael and Keeill Chiggyrt, and Tony Cain will lead walkers to the headland Gob ny Garvain.
These June walks will take place courtesy of the landowners and farmers Michael Whipp, Edward and John Quayle, and Keith, Pam and Anna Kerruish and those wishing to take part should wear walking boots, take along a picnic lunch and meet in the first instance at 10.30am in the Ballaglass Glen Car Park (map reference SC467898) at 10.30am to share cars to the Barony for the first walk to Barony Hill. Participants will then return to the Ballaglass Glen Car Park for their picnic lunch before setting out at 1.30pm to Ballafayle, where parking will be on the roadside at map reference SC480898. People can choose to take part in either the morning or afternoon’s walk, or do both.
July will see three IOMNHAS excursions taking place. The first, on Saturday, July 2, will be in the Sulby area and is entitled ‘Narradale - Abbeylands, Commons and Orchids’ and will be led by Paul Quayle. After participants have gathered at the Ginger Hall pub, Paul will give a talk on the formation of the commons before leading members on a ‘gingerly’ exploration of the Abbeylands up the lower part of the Narradale step road to view the Commons and Cronk Sumark from a distance. The group will then visit some little-known historic ‘pillars’ whose origins are open to debate and will also hear about the ‘Black Doors’. It is hoped that some verge-side orchids will oblige with their presence along the way. Those wishing to take part should wear walking boots and meet at the Ginger Hall (map reference SC394945) at 2pm. Parking available in the pub car park and after the walk refreshments will be available in the Ginger Hall too.
Then on Saturday, July 16, at St John’s, Dr Patricia Tutt - who recently published a lavishly-illustrated book on the Isle of Man’s architecture and earlier this year gave IOMNHAS members a fascinating lecture on the design of the island’s stained glass - will lead a gided visit to ‘The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, The Royal Chapel’, highlighting aspects of its architecture and stained glass. Those wishing to go along should meet at 2pm in the National Arboretum Car Park at map reference SC279818.
A few days later, on Tuesday, July 19, the island’s natural history will be to the fore when Alan Jackson leads an evening’s exploration of ‘The Manx Uplands’ of the north at a time of day when grouse and mountain hare are more likely to be visible. Alan and his helpers will lead members around Slieu Maggle, explaining and demonstrating how the uplands are managed for all forms of wildlife, flora and fauna. Those taking part should wear stout walking boots and meet at 7pm on the B10 Brandywell Road at map reference SC343866, opposite Sartfell Plantation.
There will be a month’s break in the excursion programme during August but on the afternoon of Saturday, September 10, Pat McClure will lead an ‘Exploration of 19th century St Marks and its North Wales material connection’, explaining how during his 44-years as an Anglican clergyman the 19th-century Rev John Thomas Clarke facilitated changes at St Marks which had surprising consequences after his wife died in 1862. Archaeologist Pat will lead an easy and level walk around the village before returning to the church to view two memorials whose meaning reflects the permanent links created between the Clarke family and a secluded rural village in North Wales. There will be tea and biscuits afterwards and participants should meet at St Mark’s Church (map reference SC295740) at 2pm.
IOMNHAS members will be taking part in the island’s Heritage Open Days from Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 2, and again from Friday, October 7, to Sunday, October 9, but during the latter weekend, on Saturday, October 8, the last excursion on the IOMNHAS summer programme will head a famous Norse burial site in the Ayres near Andreas for ‘Knock-e-Dhooney - Ice Age to the Vikings’, led by society Vice-President Dave Martin. He will lead a walk around parts of Knock-e-Dhooney farm highlighting aspects such as the effects of glaciation, the keeill and the Viking ship burial. Those taking part should follow the private tarmac farm road leading north from the coast road opposite Gat-e-Whing to reach Knock-e-Dhooney (at map reference NX406023) at 10.30am. Parking is available in the farmyard.
Those wanting to take part in any of these events are advised that, unfortunately, dogs cannot be taken on IOMNHAS excursions.
Note that with the return of the SS Balmoral to the Island’s waters over the weekend of July 15-17, there is the potential for an extra IOMNHAS excursion to Whitehaven, with details to be finalised depending on the level of interest in this; unfortunately, however, these dates do clash with Dr Tutt’s walk around St. John’s mentioned above.
Prospective members are welcome to join in all these excursions.
For any enquiries about outings on the programme, including car sharing and reaching venues by public transport, call IoMNHAS excursion secretary Patricia Newton on 861560 or 366269 or email patricianewton@manx.net