Santon ( gv, Stondane), historically Santan, is one of the seventeen historic

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es of 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 ...

. It is located in the south-east of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of Middle. Settlements in the parish include Newtown.

Local government

For the purposes of

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

, the whole of the historic parish forms a single parish

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

with commissioners. The

Captain of the Parish The Captain of the Parish is an official in each parish in the Isle of Man—formerly the title was ''Captain of the Parish Militia'', but it is now only a titular honour. Historically the Captain of the Parish was authorised to raise his own mi ...

(since 2003) is Donald James Gelling,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

Politics

Santon parish is part of the Middle constituency, which elects two members to the House of Keys. From 1986 until 2016 it was in the

Malew and Santon Malew and Santon was a House of Keys constituency in the Isle of Man. The constituency was created in 1986. It elected one MHK and the constituency covered the parishes of Malew and Santon. This was slightly unusual since Malew and Santon are ...

constituency.

Geography

It has an area of approximately and is the island's smallest parish. The parish is now popularly known as Santon instead of the older Santan. Currently the

is Mr Donald Gelling. To the north of the parish is Newtown and the recently built estate of

Mount Murray Mount Murray is a hill above sea level on the Isle of Man located at the northern end of Santon, near the boundaries with Marown and Braddan parishes. It is named after Lord Henry Murray, 4th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man. Often ref ...

where the northern border along the Crogga River Glen is to be found. The western boundary is slightly east of Ballalonna Glen and the modern Fairy Bridge. The coastal extremities stretch from the mouth of the

Crogga River The Crogga River is a river in the Isle of Man. Crogga River issues close to the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club and meanders slowly downhill into the lake in front of the hotel (across which the 18th and later the 9th hole used to be played ...

at Port Soderick over Santon Head, Port Grenaugh and Port Soldrick to the mouth of the

Santon Burn Santon Burn is a watercourse in the Isle of Man. This small river, or burn, has its origins in the waters of Eairy in the parish of Marown (Ordnance Survey Landranger SC296779) and enters the Irish Sea at Santon Gorge close to Cass-ny-Hawin He ...

which rarely encroaches on Santon territory but forms the northwestern (inland) boundary for much of its course. While the parish lacks size and good soil, it does have some high cliffs, ancient monuments, ruins, and various other scenery. All along the Manx coastline, and particularly on the rocky slate headlands of the south, are the remains of

promontory forts A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus using the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to da ...

which date back almost 2,000 years. Four out of more than twenty have been excavated and several, especially in Santon, can be visited using the coastal footpath. All have a rampart on their vulnerable landward side, and excavations at have shown that access to the fort was by a strongly built gate.Promontory Forts - Isle of Man Government Manx National Heritage
/ref> The

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

ns who arrived in Mann in the 8th and 9th centuries sometimes re-used these

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

promontory forts, often obliterating the old domestic quarters with their characteristic rectangular houses; the fine example at has been used as the basis of the reconstruction in the House of Manannan.

Demographics

The Isle of Man census of 2016 returned a parish population of 700, an increase of 1.3% from the figure of 691 in 2011.

Ecclesiastical parish

The ecclesiastical parish of Santon no longer exists as a separate area. Until 1 November 2012 it was coterminous with the civil parish (see below), but on that date part of the ecclesiastical parish of Braddan between Mount Murray and Port Walberry, including part of the Mount Murray estate, Port Soderick and Quine's Hill, was transferred to the parish of Santon. On 1 February 2013 the parish of Santon and the parish of Malew (except a detached part of the latter to the west of Castletown) were united to form a new ecclesiastical parish of Malew and Santon. The parish church of the former parish of Santon, which is now one of the four parish churches of the united parish, is St Sanctain. St Sanctain's stands on the site of an ancient 1500-year-old chapel - well before St. Augustine came from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

. The name St Sanctain is of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

origin and according to legend, the saint was a disciple of St Patrick and Bishop of Cell da Les (Church of Two Forts). Occasioned by an error, the church was referred to as St Ann (or Anne) during the 17th century and this lasted until it was officially corrected in 1891. The living of Santon was in the patronage of the Crown, in the person of Her Majesty the Queen, the

Lord of Mann The lord of Mann ( gv, Çhiarn Vannin) is the lord proprietor and head of state of the Isle of Man. The current lord proprietor and head of state is Charles III. Before 1504 the head of state was known as King of Mann. Relationship with t ...

. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it was in the hands of the

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

Rushen Abbey Rushen Abbey is a former abbey on the Isle of Man, located in Ballasalla. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under Cistercian control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located from Castle Rushen, th ...

. The united benefice of Malew and Santon is also in the patronage of the Crown. When the Queen appoints a new vicar, the Lieutenant Governor receives presentment documents signed by the Queen. At the Service of Institution and induction of a new vicar, these documents, together with the new vicar, are presented by the Lieutenant Governor to the

Bishop of Sodor and Man The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man (Manx Gaelic: ''Sodor as Mannin'') in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese only covers the Isle of Man. The Cathedral Church of St German where t ...

with the request that the Bishop institute the nominee of the Crown. This duty is always carried out by the Governor in person.

References

External links

map of the parish
* ttp://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/parishes/sn/santan.htm Manx notebook Kirk Santan - St Sanctainbr>Manx notebook - SantanIsle of Man Building Control DistrictsGlenology - Manx GlensWebsite of the Santon Parish Commissioners
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santon (Parish) Parishes of the Isle of Man