Isle of Man – Castletown
On our third day we went to Castletown and the Southern 100 motorcycle race – a lesser race than the Isle of Man TT but nevertheless very exciting. At the time we were there was an accident (with no serious injuries) which meant the final lap was abandoned. As it was on a coach tour it was not possible to wait for the next race. However, the motor bikes zoomed past at speed, but I was able to get some photos of the action!
After this we went to visit Cregneash village, one of the last strongholds of the Manx language and customs characterised by the crofting way of life. It was settled on an upland plateau overlooking the Calf of Man. We went inside the Manx cottages to see how crofters lived through stories, skills, craft demonstrations and traditional farming practices in action.
We ended the day with a visit to the Calf of Man. It is an islet off the southern-most tip of the IOM and is just one-and-a-half miles long by around a mile wide and at its highest point rises some 421 feet above sea level. It’s separated from the island by a narrow but treacherous strip of water known as the Calf sound.
Whilst bizarrely the Calf has had its own postage stamps, one thing it has never had, is a pub. Perhaps this is what drove a warden in recent times to try and make wood sage wine during his tenure.
