taking our culture forward

Giants, explosions and a cable to the world!

A live recording of James Franklin of Culture Vannin's tour of the surprising history and folklore of Port Cornaa, Maughold.

Expect mermaids, a tarroo ushtey and the Old Woman of the Spells alongside a pub, a tourist hot-spot and an explosives factory. What emerges is a surprising story of a place that holds so much but could have been very different indeed...

This tour was recorded live on 12 October 2024. It was delivered as Culture Vannin's offering for the Heritage Open Days 2024.
Access to the areas of the tour were permitted by the kindness of the landowner.
The rendition of Arrane Oie Vie was performed by Ruth Keggin Gell. Her recorded version of this traditional Manx song is available on the album, Lossan.

The nine stops of this walking tour, and their What3Words locations, are as follows:

  1. Port Cornaa shore: ///endpoints.relit.details
  2. Telegraph cable hut: ///relaxing.cons.running
  3. At the bench: ///panting.stark.percussion
  4. In front of the boat shed: ///foods.clung.order
  5. In front of Croit y Phurt: ///handbook.bedpost.scrolling
  6. By the bridge: ///gourmet.split.urged
  7. On the Harbour Road: ///soften.frontman.memorably
  8. Beside Lhingey Vooar: ///swaddles.reshape.deviance (approx. location)
  9. Close to the Bellite Factory: ///proofread.softening.refit

More information about some points of this tour can be found in:

  • 'A Guide to the Folklore Sites of the Isle of Man' by James Franklin, Sam Hudson & Katie Newton
  • 'From Telegraph to Telephone' by Dermot O'Toole
  • 'A History of Kirk Maughold' William & Constance Radcliffe
  • 'Manx Fairy Tales' by Sophia Morrison
  • 'Bellite Factory, Port Cornaa, Maughold, Isle of Man' by Larch S. Garrad (in Industrial Archaeology, Vol.15, No.4)
  • 'The Rhenab Glen and Waterfall' in Isle of Man Times, 13/09/1884