Ballaugh ( ; , ) is a small village on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

in the parish of the same name, in the sheading of Michael. It is the only village in the parish. The parish adjoins Jurby to the north,

Lezayre Lezayre ( ; gv, Creest ny h-Ayrey), formally Kirk Christ Lezayre, is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the north of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) in the sheading of Ayre. ...

to the east, Michael to the south and south-west, and the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

to the west. It stretches about 5 miles or 8 km from north to south: at the extreme southern end it includes part of Sulby Reservoir, and to the west, it includes part of Bishopscourt, the former house of the island's

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

History

The name 'Ballaugh' derives from the Manx ''Balley ny Loghey'' or "the place of the lake" cognate with loch and lough. The Ballaugh Curraghs is all that remains of this lake. The lake, which measured up to a mile in length, was drained by the excavation about 300 years ago of the silted-up Lhen Trench which, during the last ice age, is believed to have been a meltwater channel flowing north to south from the melting ice front. In 1819 a nearly fully intact skeleton of an

Irish Elk The Irish elk (''Megaloceros giganteus''), also called the giant deer or Irish deer, is an extinct species of deer in the genus '' Megaloceros'' and is one of the largest deer that ever lived. Its range extended across Eurasia during the Pleist ...

was discovered in bog land by Thomas Kewish and James Taubmann in Ballaugh. The Ballaugh Elk is currently housed at the

National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...

in Edinburgh. An elaborate runic cross dated to the 10th century was discovered in Ballaugh in 1891. It can be viewed in Ballaugh Old Church. Ballaugh was only connected to the water mains in the early 1950s; until then most residents used the local wells, including one situated in the rear yard of Ellan Vannin, a former coach house with stabling beside the yard. In recent years the village has expanded, with new housing estates to the north of the village centre.

Access and facilities

Road links

The village is situated on the main A3 Castletown to

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

road about seven miles west of Ramsey. The road crosses Ballaugh Bridge, a hump-backed bridge, in the village. It is accessible via the A10 road and A13 road when the TT Course is closed for racing.

Rail links

The village was served by Ballaugh Station which was part of the

Manx Northern Railway The Manx Northern Railway (MNR) was the second common carrier railway built in the Isle of Man. It operated as an independent concern only from 1879 to 1905. History When the people in the town of Ramsey realised their town was not going to ...

that ran between St. John's and

. The station operated from 1879 until 1968. The station has since been demolished and the tracks lifted. A popular walking path now follows the route that the railway line once took.

Education

The village has one primary school, Ballaugh School, for children between the ages of 4 and 11. Currently the school has about 80 pupils. After year six pupils generally attend either

Queen Elizabeth II High School Queen Elizabeth II High School (commonly referred to as simply QE2) is a mixed comprehensive school in Peel, Isle of Man. The school teaches the years 7-11 as well as a sixth form for years 12–13. Queen Elizabeth II High School follows the ...

in Peel or

Ramsey Grammar School Ramsey Grammar School is a coeducational comprehensive secondary school located in Ramsey, on the Isle of Man. History A grammar school has existed in Ramsey since 1681. It moved to Lezayre Road in 1933 and was housed in a building that now f ...

Entertainment

There is one

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in Ballaugh – the "Raven" – and one convenience store, operated by

Spar SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...

, which incorporates a post office. A mile east of the village is the

Curraghs Wildlife Park Curraghs Wildlife Park is a wildlife park in The Curraghs (also known as the Ballaugh Curraghs), an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man. The park is owned by the Isle of Man Government and is administered by the Department ...

, situated in the Ballaugh Curraghs wetland, which is recognised by the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on W ...

. The park consists of several different animal exhibits and enclosures. After a mating pair of wallabies escaped the park in the 1960s, there are at least 160 living wild in the Manx countryside. The village is situated on the Snaefell Mountain Course. During the annual TT and Manx Grand Prix races the village is a favourite spectator spot as Ballaugh Bridge, a hump-backed bridge is located at the village.

Churches and chapels

The

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

parish church is St Mary's Church located in the village, although there are two churches, the old and the new. The old parish church of Ballaugh was located in what is now the hamlet of The Cronk, about 1.5 miles or 2.5 km north of the current village, on the treen (a subdivision of the parish) of Ballamona. In 1717, Thomas Wilson who was then the Bishop of Sodor and Man, added a simple baroque front and the church was lengthened by with a

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

topped by a

Bell-Cot A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...

e added to the west end. Between 1757 and 1777, rear and side galleries were added. On 24 March 1830 the parishioners of the old Ballaugh church held a

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...

meeting to vote on whether to relocate and build a new larger church closer to the village. The Bishop of Sodor and Man presided at the meeting. It was decided by a vote of 110 to 84 to relocate the church. The foundation stone was laid for the new church on Ballatersson just one month later by Bishop Ward; the cost of building the church was £1,714. With the building of the new church, the old church fell into disrepair. It was restored in 1849 with a new roof, although the galleries and chancel extension were removed. It was further restored in 1877 and 1955 and has since been used regularly for services. The new church was last renovated in 1893. There have been a number of

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

chapels in Ballaugh. Ballaugh (Ballaterson) Primitive Methodist Chapel closed in 1969 and since been demolished. The land on which the first Ballaugh Village

Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charle ...

Methodist Chapel stood was sold in 1778 to Thomas Clark for £2. He conveyed the property to a group of trustees on 19 December 1791. After the chapel was built, it was soon found to be too small, and in 1806 additional land was provided to expand the chapel. In 1868 a new village Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built and the first chapel was then used as a Sunday school and hall. However, in 1999 the second chapel was closed and services reverted to the hall. Ballaugh New (Ballakinnag) Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1898. It is now a garage. (Ballaugh) Curragh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was originally built in 1815 and closed in 1971.

References

External links

IOM Guide: Kirk Ballaugh

Manx National Heritage
{{Isle of Man Villages in the Isle of Man