Bradda Head is a rugged headland overlooking

Port Erin Port Erin ( 'lord's port' or originally 'Irish port') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of Rushen. It was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it ...

, a popular seaside village in the south-west 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 ...

, in the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

. Rising to a height of above sea level. The headland and Milner's Tower are accessible via the Port Erin to

Peel Peel or Peeling may refer to: Places Australia * Peel (Western Australia) * Peel, New South Wales * Peel River (New South Wales) Canada * Peel Parish, New Brunswick * Peel, New Brunswick, an unincorporated community in Peel Parish * Pee ...

section of the Isle of Man coastal footpath, Raad ny Foillan, (Manx Gaelic for 'Way of the Gull'). Milner's Tower was built in 1871 in memory of William Milner of the then-famous Milner's Safe Co. Ltd., maker of fire-resistant safes and a local philanthropist. His tower is built in the shape of a key and lock (as viewed from above). Views from Bradda Head include the

Calf of Man Calf of Man ( ) is a island, off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it is part of th ...

to the south and the

Mourne Mountains The Mourne Mountains ( ; ), also called the Mournes or the Mountains of Mourne, are a predominantly granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountain in all of Ulster, Slieve Donard ...

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and the east coast of the Republic of Ireland to the west.

History

Most of Bradda Head's history relates to mining. There are several veins close to the surface and reaching several hundred fathoms into the headland and below sea level. Evidence exists of

copper ore Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

and lead being extracted from on and near the surface during the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

and further into the ground via shafts during the 13th century. By the early 1700s and into the 1800s shafts were being excavated deep horizontally and below sea level. Most access was via steep slopes or steps carved into the cliff faces. Remains of the Captain's house and pump house are low down the rock face on the southern face, visible from the sea. Mining continued until 1904. There is an ancient

cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...

on nearby Bradda Hill. An ancient coin hoard was found at Bradda Head in 1848. Prior to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, there was a thriving fishing trade in

scallops Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related famili ...

taken off Bradda Head. On 16 May 2023, a privately-owned light aircraft crashed into the cliffside. The only casualty was the lone pilot.

Contemporary uses

The site is popular with walkers, photographers and artists, and the 1931 "

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

World's Best Photograph" was made here. C.W. Powell won £4,000 for the picture. The pathways and headland make it a popular location for walkers, bird and sea life spotters. Due to rock falls and erosion, there are caves and tunnels under the headland that can be negotiated by kayakers, paddleboarders, freedivers and scuba divers.

References

External links

Photochrome colour photograph of the head, made between 1890 and 1900Milner's Tower

Headlands of the Isle of Man {{IsleofMan-geo-stub