Today a climb to the top is rewarded with panoramic views across the laxey valley. The site, unique due to the ingenious use of the river to supply all the plant with continuous free energy is perhaps one of the most important sites of the industrial revolution in britain. Silver ore, copper, haematite iron, and zinc were mined here, and in great quantities. Laxey s harbour facilities were poor and a number of steam railways connecting douglas with laxey were proposed. Great laxey mine railway britains great little railways. The laxey wheel is the isle of mans most visited tourist attraction and is based on the east coast of the island just north of douglas. Great laxey wheel and mine trail visit isle of man. The great laxey mine railway offers a fascinating journey and insight to when the loaded wagons carried the metal ores, theres also a not to be missed laxey wheel close to the terminus, which built in 1854 to pump floodwater from the mine, and the largest working waterwheel on the island. We took the path north, diverted slightly for a peep at the great laxey mine railway, and made for the great laxey wheel. Records of the great laxey mining company limited archives hub. The great laxey wheel 2020 all you need to know before.
The laxey wheel is the largest working waterwheel in the world. Get all hot and steamy on the great laxey mine railway, free of charge for one day only, and maybe you will then come back as a volunteer. A full length journey in historic stock can be enjoyed in this album, along with visits to the douglas horse tramway, the groudle glen railway, the snaefell mountain railway, the great laxey mine railway and the ramsey pier tramway. Ian smith talks about how they have made the experience even more scary this year. Take a tour of the the great laxey wheel and mines trail, united kingdom to visit historic site in laxey. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft and consisted primarily of three shafts. Visit the great laxey wheel and mines trail on your trip. Uniquely in british mining, great laxey used two tiny steam locomotives, ant and bee, to haul the mined ore from deep underground to the washing floors, where the ore was prepared for sale. One hundred and fifty years ago laxey was home to one of the richest lead mines in britain. In 1922 the mine was purchased by a local businessman robert williamson who was able to carry on mining until 1929, when the once proud great laxey mine closed for the final time. In the 1860s ore deposits of rich quality were discovered and a steady growth of both the output of the mine and financial reward for the shareholders was achieved. Designed by robert casement, the wheel has a 72foot6inch 22. The great laxey mine railway volunteers week the big event. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.
The 1 ft 7 in 483 mm gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that pa. In a fascinating, indepth, largeformat book you can follow the history of the great laxey mine from its very beginnings. Feb, 2020 heritage railway the railway which used to service the great laxey mine comes back to life with steam engines ant and bee and wasp our electric locomotive. This prompted a strike, which lasted for three years until the mine was taken over by a local businessman williamson. Access to laxey is via the famous mountain railway service, from where you can continue your journey even further north to ramsey.
We recommend booking the great laxey wheel tours ahead of time to secure your spot. The great laxey wheel 2020 what to know before you go with. It was the last mine in operation on the island and its closure brought to an end the once prosperous manx mining industry. Designed by the victorian engineer, robert casement, the wheel was built in 1854 to pump water from glen mooar part of the great laxey mines industrial complex. The great laxey mine railway volunteers week the big. The great laxey mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine located in laxey, in the parish of. The pumps were so old and worn that they could not keep the mine dry and the water was rising steadily.
A brilliant example of victorian engineering she was built in 1854 to pump water from the laxey mines. In this book laxey resident and historian andrew scarffe relates the many tramways and railways which were associated with the great laxey mine plus a few that were proposed but never built. Aug 16, 2014 wrapping up the eight part special is a look at the 18 inch gauge great laxey mines railway, running from the lower garden areas of the village, up to the former mine entrances within walking. The great laxey mine was an extensive system of mine shafts and tunnels, which descended to a depth of 2,200 feet underground. The uppermost level of mine workings, known as the adit, was a series of tunnels extending to a mile and a half, which entered the hillside at ground level, and connected the heads of all the working mine shafts. The great laxey mine railway 2020 all you need to know. Other contents relate to the great laxey mining co.
To bring the history of laxeys tramways fully up to date, the story of the rebirth of the great laxey mine railway, as it is known, is fully related. Narrow gauge douglas laxey ramsey including the groudle glen railway the manx electric railway was a pioneer in electric traction and has become a national icon. The great laxey wheel updated april 2020 top tips before. While in laxey it is well worth a short trip on the the great laxey mine railway. Archive or historic photograph of great laxey mine on the mining history web site uk. That it served the mine carrying out its intended function for over 70 years itself is amazing. The sort of book worth reading for later reference even if you are not the owner of a dog who guards.
The great laxey mine railway was originally constructed to serve the isle of mans great laxey mine, a lead mine located in laxey. There is more information about this book on the book and other merchandise part of the website. To bring the history of laxey s tramways fully up to date, the story of the rebirth of the great laxey mine railway, as it is known, is fully related. Aug 23, 2016 filmed on saturday 6 august 2016 when the polar bear crew from amberley paid a visit. This feat of victorian engineering and ingenuity is the largest surviving waterwheel of its kind in the world. The railway is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers from the laxey and lonan heritage trust. Ltd maritime activities and include material such as a ledger, account book, proxy forms and ore certificates. The railways and tramways of laxey by andrew scarffe book. The great laxey wheel queeyl vooar laksey or lady isabella as she is also known is the largest working waterwheel in the world. The railways terminus is located at the valley gardens which was once the site of the great laxey mine s washing floors. The great laxey mine by andrew scarffe manx national heritage. During the 1850s it had a workforce of more than five hundred men, and by the 180s it was producing 2,500 tons of lead and silver, 9,000 tons of.
Great laxey mine railway, 97866853352, please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia. Laxey webcams webcams in laxey, isle of man, united kingdom. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Celebrating 150 years of history, this fascinating, indepth, largeformat book looks at the the great laxey mine from its very beginnings. This book also recalls the fascinating and unfulfilled proposals. Built to serve the great laxey mine more notable for its giant water wheel. The great laxey wheel queeyl vooar laksey manx national. Laxeys harbour facilities were poor and a number of steam railways connecting douglas with laxey were proposed. The railways terminus is located at the valley gardens which was once the site of the great laxey mines washing floors. The great laxey mine railway all you need to know before. The great laxey mine railway was originally constructed to serve the isle of man s great.
But of all the sites on the island, perhaps none is as recognisable around the world as the laxey wheel. The lady isabella as she is also known, served the mine for 70 years and became the islands most dramatic tourist attraction. This book traces the development of the great laxey mine and charts its eventual decline as the mineral vein became more elusive and competition from cheaper ores brought a fall in profits. Visit the great laxey wheel and mines trail on your trip to laxey.
Just half a mile from the village of laxey and shadowed by the great wheel, the mine lies in a steep sided glen astride the river mooar in an almost intact condition the site, unique due to the ingenious use of the river to supply all the plant with continuous free energy is perhaps one of the most important sites of the industrial revolution in britain. Book your tickets online for the great laxey wheel, laxey. There is no formal date as to when laxey mine first opened. Just half a mile from the village of laxey and shadowed by the great wheel, the mine lies in a steep sided glen astride the river mooar in an almost intact condition. A footpath and mining trail leads from end of the great laxey mines railway through the trees to the main entrance of the great laxey mine. Tracing family roots back to the isle of man gonomad travel. The machinery is explained in detail with drawings and plans and the. The great laxey wheel queeyl vooar laksey is the largest surviving working wheel of its kind in the world. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft 670. The 150th anniversary of the lady isabella was celebrated by the people of laxey with a grand fayre on saturday 24 september 2004.
Great laxey ltd, lead, blende and copper mine owners the. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Also known as the lady isabella, after the wife of the lieutenant governor at the time, this 22. Station and gift shop the great laxey mines railway. The great laxey wheel 2020 all you need to know before you. The manx electric railway was a pioneer in electric traction and has become a national icon. The laxey wheel also known as lady isabella is a large waterwheel built into the hillside above the village of laxey in the isle of man. The team behind the great laxey mine railway get all dressed uo for their yearly special event, the hop tu naa scream trains. The photographs is this gallery are in descending order with the most recent images shown first. Today a climb to the top is rewarded with panoramic views across the laxey. Great laxey ltd, lead, blende and copper mine owners this page summarises records created by this business the summary includes a brief description of the collections usually including the covering dates of the collection, the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection. Action on the great laxey mine railway 30th july 2011 duration. Watch the mighty wheel turn and climb to the top for panoramic views across glen mooar valley. The mine worked for over 150 years, closing in 1929.
Beyond the wheel take an hour to explore the mine and the trail to the mine ruins to learn more about the lives of the laxey miners. In this book laxey resident and historian andrew scarffe relates the many tramways and railways which were associated with the great laxey mine. Located in the village of laxey, on the eastern coast of the isle of man, the restored railway runs along the surface section of the tramway which once carried lead and zinc ores from deep inside the great laxey mine. The 1 ft 7 in 483 mm gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that passes through the isle of mans only railway tunnel under the 3 ft 914 mm gauge victorian manx electric railway and the main a2 douglas to ramsey. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The former great laxey mine railway a mineral railway rebuilt as a tourist line for the 21st century. The laxey wheel, sometimes called the great laxey wheel and formally known as lady isabella, really is every bit the engineering marvel when you consider the technology of the day, the remoteness of the site, and the sheer scale of this machine. Buy great laxey mine 1st edition by andrew scarffe isbn.
Start by marking the girl was mine as want to read. Laxey wheel project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The great laxey mine railway, on the isle of man, will be attending the volunteers week, the big event this coming saturday, the 24th february 2018. Records of the great laxey mining company limited im147.
The opinion of a number of scholars is that operations there most likely began in the 18 th century. Eager to stem financial ruin the shareholders announced in 1862 a reformation of the company, renaming it the great laxey mining company limited. The wheel was used to pump water from the glen mooar part of the great laxey mines industrial complex. In one year the great laxey mine produced over 11,000 tons of zinc ore, as much as all the other mines in britain added together. Silver ore, copper, haematite iron, and zinc were mined here, and in great. Located in the village of laxey, on the eastern coast of the isle of man, the restored railway runs along the surface section of the tramway which once carried lead and zinc ores from deep.
If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The great laxey mine railway is owned by the laxey and lonan heritage trust, a registered manx charity, which was formed in 1997 to promote the rich industrial and natural histories of laxey village and lonan parish. The great laxey mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine located in laxey, in the parish of lonan, isle of man. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Take a ride on the great laxey mine railway on your. Historic photographs of great laxey mine photo ref 61109.
But it was during the 19 th century that this mine saw its most fruitful years. Only open on saturdays as run by volunteers but great little mine train using original tracks train itself probably only takes 5 mins. This is very much the forgotten bit of mining history in laxey. The mine worked with sixteen men but the future of the great laxey mine was bleak. This runs for nearly one and a half miles connecting to mine workings. In one year the great laxey mine produced over 1 tons of zinc. See all 5 the great laxey wheel tours on tripadvisor. The great laxey mine the great laxey mines railway. For a town with a population of less than 2,000, laxey is full of sightseeing possibilities. The great laxey mine by andrew scarffe manx national. Few actually discover the entrance to the original adit. Apr 06, 2002 great book with excellent systematic advise on many different types of guarding behaviours. The great laxey mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine.
975 29 1575 494 287 377 1338 1426 1359 1512 519 1459 211 413 338 599 1479 981 509 1499 1430 226 549 1288 590 1442 626 917 778 1319 1164 550 203 14 318