Ballaugh
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|---|---|
 Parish of Ballaugh,Isle of Man | |
| Population | 1,032 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SC3464693486 |
| Sheading | Michael |
| Crown dependency | Isle of Man |
| Post town | ISLE OF MAN |
| Postcode district | IM7 |
| House of Keys | Ayre & Michael |
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Ballaugh (/bəˈlæf/bə-LAF;Manx:Balley ny Loghey) is one of the seventeenparishes of theIsle of Man.
It is located on the west of the island (part of the traditionalNorth Side division) in the sheading ofMichael.
For the purposes oflocal government, the whole of the historic parish forms a single parishdistrict withCommissioners.
TheCaptain of the Parish (since 1993) isCharles Edgar Cowin.[2]
Ballaugh parish is part of theAyre & Michaelconstituency, which elects two members to theHouse of Keys. Before 2016, it was in theMichael constituency.
Ballaugh is a mainly agricultural district on the north-western coast of the island. Ballaugh runs for some 3 miles (5 km) along the north-west coastline of the island. The average breadth of the parish is about 3 miles (5 km) and it covers an area of around 9 square miles (23 km2). The south-east corner is hilly and the remainder is low, including part of the marshy depression of the Curraghs.[3] The only village in the parish isBallaugh.
There are in Ballaugh a number of sites of historical interest. There is a heritage group who holds regular meetings and arrange walks around the area. Research into the social history of the area, in particular the isolated Glen Dhoo, is being carried out.[when?] 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.
The Isle of Man census of 2016 returned a parish population of 1,032, a decrease of 1% from the figure of 1,042 in 2011.[1]
| Ballaugh parish(census)[4] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Pop. | 812 | 868 | 1,042 | 1,042 | 1,032 | 1,041 |
| ±% | — | +6.9% | +20.0% | +0.0% | −1.0% | +0.9% |
One mile east of the village isCurraghs Wildlife Park, which was formerly run by the island'sDepartment of Community, Culture and Leisure and is a haven for all sorts ofwetland wildlife. Most of the park is laid out in geographical sections, representing different continents of the world and the animals that can be found there. The central part of the park has a different format and contains specific animal exhibits and visitor attractions.[5]
The park is located next toBallaugh Curraghwetland, the first wildlife site on the island to be internationally recognised, when in 2006, it was designated aRamsar wetland of international importance. The site qualifies for international status as it has excellent examples of wetland habitats characteristic of the island and the region: bog pools, marshygrassland,birch woodland, modified bog and willow scrub (known as curragh). It also has on occasion, the largest number of winter roostinghen harriers inWestern Europe and has a breeding habitat for a highly endangered migratory bird, thecorn crake. In 2005, theDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry designated Ballaugh Curragh as an "Area of Special Scientific Interest". There are three partners involved in the Curragh: Curraghs Wildlife Park,Manx National Heritage and the Manx Wildlife Trust.[6][7]