Ballaugh
| |
|---|---|
 Main road at Ballaugh Bridge | |
  Ballaugh Location within theIsle of Man | |
| Population | 1,032 (2016 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SC345936 |
| Parish | Ballaugh |
| Sheading | Michael |
| Crown dependency | Isle of Man |
| Post town | ISLE OF MAN |
| Postcode district | IM7 |
| Dialling code | 01624 |
| Police | Isle of Man |
| Fire | Isle of Man |
| Ambulance | Isle of Man |
| House of Keys | Ayre & Michael |
| |
Ballaugh (/bəˈlæf/bə-LAF;[1] from Manx Balley ny Loghey 'town of the lake',IPA:[b(alən)əˈlaf])[2] is a small village in theIsle of Man in the parish ofthe same name, in the sheading ofMichael. It is the only village in the parish.[3]
The parish adjoinsJurby to the north,Lezayre to the east, Michael to the south and south-west, and theIrish Sea to the west. It stretches about 5 miles or 8 km from north to south: at the extreme southern end it includes part ofSulby Reservoir, and to the west, it includes part ofBishopscourt, the former house of the Island'sBishop.
The name 'Ballaugh' derives from the ManxBalley ny Loghey or "the place of the lake" cognate with loch and lough. The Ballaugh Curraghs is all that remains of this lake. The lake, which measured up to a mile in length, was drained by the excavation about 300 years ago of the silted-up Lhen Trench which, during the last ice age, is believed to have been a meltwater channel flowing north to south from the melting ice front.
In 1819 a nearly fully intact skeleton of anIrish Elk was discovered in bog land by Thomas Kewish and James Taubmann in Ballaugh. TheBallaugh Elk is currently housed at theNational Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.[4]
An elaboraterunic cross dated to the 10th century was discovered in Ballaugh in 1891. It can be viewed in Ballaugh Old Church.[5]
Ballaugh was only connected to the water mains in the early 1950s; until then most residents used the local wells, including one situated in the rear yard of Ellan Vannin, a former coach house with stabling beside the yard.[6]
In recent years the village has expanded, with new housing estates to the north of the village centre.
The village is situated on the mainA3Castletown toRamsey road about seven miles west of Ramsey. The road crossesBallaugh Bridge, a hump-backed bridge, in the village. It is accessible via theA10 road andA13 road when theTT Course is closed for racing.
The village was served byBallaugh Station which was part of theManx Northern Railway that ran betweenSt. John's andRamsey. The station operated from 1879 until 1968.[7] The station has since been demolished and the tracks lifted. A popular walking path now follows the route that the railway line once took.[8]
The village has one primary school, Ballaugh School, for children between the ages of 4 and 11. Currently the school has about 80 pupils.[6] After year six pupils generally attend eitherQueen Elizabeth II High School inPeel orRamsey Grammar School inRamsey.
There is onepub in Ballaugh – the "Raven" – and one convenience store, operated bySpar, which incorporates a post office.
A mile east of the village is theCurraghs Wildlife Park, situated in theBallaugh Curraghs wetland, which is recognised by theRamsar Convention. The park consists of several different animal exhibits and enclosures. After a mating pair of wallabies escaped the park in the 1960s, there are at least 160 living wild in the Manx countryside.[9]
The village is situated on theSnaefell Mountain Course. During the annualTT andManx Grand Prix races the village is a favourite spectator spot asBallaugh Bridge, a hump-backed bridge is located at the village.[10]
TheChurch of England parish church is St Mary's Church located in the village, although there are two churches, the old and the new.
The old parish church of Ballaugh was located in what is now the hamlet of The Cronk, about 1.5 miles or 2.5 km north of the current village, on the treen (a subdivision of the parish)[11] of Ballamona. In 1717,Thomas Wilson who was then the Bishop of Sodor and Man, added a simplebaroque front and the church was lengthened by 21 feet (6 m) with agable topped by aBell-Cote added to the west end. Between 1757 and 1777, rear and side galleries were added.[6]
On 24 March 1830 the parishioners of the old Ballaugh church held avestry meeting to vote on whether to relocate and build a new larger church closer to the village. The Bishop of Sodor and Man presided at the meeting. It was decided by a vote of 110 to 84 to relocate the church. The foundation stone was laid for the new church on Ballatersson just one month later by Bishop Ward; the cost of building the church was £1,714.[12][13]
With the building of the new church, the old church fell into disrepair. It was restored in 1849 with a new roof, although the galleries and chancel extension were removed. It was further restored in 1877 and 1955 and has since been used regularly for services. The new church was last renovated in 1893.[6]
There have been a number ofMethodist chapels in Ballaugh. Ballaugh (Ballaterson)Primitive Methodist Chapel closed in 1969 and since been demolished. The land on which the first Ballaugh VillageWesleyan Methodist Chapel stood was sold in 1778 to Thomas Clark for £2. He conveyed the property to a group of trustees on 19 December 1791. After the chapel was built, it was soon found to be too small, and in 1806 additional land was provided to expand the chapel. In 1868 a new village Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built and the first chapel was then used as a Sunday school and hall. However, in 1999 the second chapel was closed and services reverted to the hall. Ballaugh New (Ballakinnag) Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1898. It is now a garage. (Ballaugh) Curragh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was originally built in 1815 and closed in 1971.[14]
