 |
 |
|
Mystical Isle of Man
For 2007 we have extended this tour by an extra day so that we can take in even more of the amazing sites this mystical island has to offer. The Steam Packet Hydrofoil Ferry will take us from Liverpool into the Port of Douglas Bay and from here it is only two minutes along the famous Douglas promenade, with its horse drawn carriages to the Hydro Hotel, which will be our home for the next three nights. Over our four day weekend we will be traversing the entire island and discovering its diversity of ancient and historical sites.
The Isle of Man has a real and individual personality and is unique in the British Isles, it is undisturbed history in microcosm, a place where the ancient and pagan beliefs naturally integrated with the new Christian teachings without the intrusion of Roman invaders, who never located the island. The island was therefore free to evolve in a natural way accepting ideas and blending them with previous belief systems.
During the Neolithic period, construction began of chambered tombs such as King Orry’s Grave and Cashtal Yn Ard, for ritual and ceremony. Evidence has been found that during this period the island was a staging post for traders traveling between the stone axe factory in the Langdales, Cumbria and Ireland.
The coming of the Bronze Age saw new burial practices brought to the island by the 'Beaker People', from Western Europe and it was during this period that smaller burial mounds containing stone-lined cysts and ornamented vessels were introduced, together with bronze axes. These burial mounds were known to have been meeting places and it is possible that Tynwald Hill, the ancient meeting place of the Manx government could originally have been such a place. The Iron Age period then saw the construction of many hill forts on the island, such as Balladoole and Cronl-ny-merriu, which may have been triggered by the immigration to the island of Celtic people.
Christian teachings began to flow onto the island around 500AD, which complemented and added to the present pagan belief systems. This is evidenced by the erecting of numerous crosses throughout the island, which continued the tradition of out-door meeting and the marking of sacred places. Another mark of early Christian meeting was the construction of many Keeills again throughout the island. These were small rectangular wattle and daub structures probably with thatched roofs and alters at the eastern end.
Then in the year 798 the trouble began when the first Viking Longships were sighted sailing into the Irish Sea. The islands inhabitants began constructing defenses such as Round Towers as places of refuge as Viking raids became increasingly common. The invaders eventually became settlers and today we can find Viking Ship Burials together with other ancient sites. The Tynwald Mound is to this day a meeting place for the Manx government and this too can be traced back to the Vikings.
Other attractions on the island include the Laxy water wheel, many glens and the Snafell mountain railway. We will also be visiting the Douglas museum and free time will be available in the seaside town of Douglas.
4 nights £385 (leaving Friday pm and returning Tuesday am)
Includes all transportation, ferry crossings, site visits & B&B in Douglas. Single sup £50
