Arbory () is one of the seventeen historic

parishes 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 or ...

of the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. It is located on the south of the island in the sheading of

Rushen Rushen ( ; ), formally Kirk Christ Rushen, is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of the same name. Administrat ...

. Settlements in the parish include

Ballabeg Ballabeg () is a village on the Isle of Man. It is in the parish of Arbory (parish), Arbory in the Local government in the Isle of Man, sheading of Rushen, in the south of the island near Castletown, Isle of Man, Castletown. There are several ...

, Colby and

Ronague Ronague ( or ) is a tiny hamlet in the south of the Isle of Man, in the parish of Arbory. It consists of an old chapel, several houses and some farms. It lies to the north of the villages of Ballabeg and Colby, west of the hamlet of Grenaby and ...

. As of the 2016 census, its population stood at 1,847. The parish features a mix of coastal plains, glens, and rolling hills, with an economy anchored in agriculture, and tourism.

Geography

Arbory is situated along the southern coast of the

in the sheading of

. It stretches from Pooil Vash to Strandhall, straddling the Colby river to Cronk Fedjag, and across the mountain to the western boundary of Malew. The parish consists of low plains in the south with highlands in the north. It has short coastline which is rocky and exposed.

Administration

Since 1 May 2020, local governance has been shared with nearby Rushen under the Arbory & Rushen Parish Commissioners, offering combined services with distinct ward structures and forms part of the 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, municip ...

of Arbory and Malew. The parish is headed by a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, and forms part of the

Arbory, Castletown & Malew Arbory, Castletown & Malew is a House of Keys constituency in the south of the Isle of Man. It was created for the 2016 general election and elects 2 MHKs; currently Jason Moorhouse and Graham Cregeen Graham Derek Cregeen was a Manx politician ...

constituency An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

, which elects two Members to the

House of Keys The House of Keys () is the directly elected lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council. History The oldest known reference to the name is in a document of 1417, written in Lat ...

. The title of a captain is a ceremonial title dating to

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

era, reflecting centuries-old tradition.

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, Arbory’s population was recorded 1,899. The Isle of Man census of 2016 returned a parish population of 1,847, an increase of 5.4% from the figure of 1,747 in 2011. The population consisted of 928 males and 971 females, with 254 aged under 14.

Culture and economy

Local economy is dominated by

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

including

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

and farms with a number of residents commuting to Douglas and other urban centers for employment. The parish includes small businesses such as a school, churches, local shops, and community halls that support events and local activities. The Laa Columb Killey festival, held annually in Ballabeg, celebrates St Columba with a parish fair that includes games, music, and local crafts.

Transportation

The A7 and A28 roads navigate the parish, connecting villages and other landscapes. Bus Vannin routes 1, 11, and 12 provide regular services through Arbory, linking it to Douglas and neighboring towns. Colby Glen station offers seasonal heritage steam railway services, attracting tourists in summer months.

References

External links

Arbory Parish Commissioners

Detail about Manx parishes and description of Arbory Parish.

with family details and photographs.
Glenology - Manx Glens
An ongoing study of Manx glens, their locations and meanings. {{Isle of Man Parishes of the Isle of Man