It's no exaggeration to describe the Lady Isabella Laxey Wheel, built in 1854 to pump water from a mine, as a 'great' wheel: it measures 22m across and can draw 1140L of water per minute from a depth of 550m. The largest wheel of its kind in the world, it's named after the wife of the then lieutenant-governor.
Great Laxey Wheel
Top choice in Isle of Man
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.67 MILES
Castletown is dominated by the impressive 13th-century Castle Rushen, one of the most complete medieval structures in Europe. You can visit the gatehouse,…
Manx Museum & National Art Gallery
6.11 MILES
This modern museum begins with an introductory film to the island's 10,000-year history and then races through it, making various stops including Viking…
18.37 MILES
Until the early part of the 20th century, most farmers on the island engaged in a practice known as crofting – a social system defined by small-scale…
14.67 MILES
The former home of the Manx Parliament (lower house of the Tynwald) has been restored to its 1866 appearance – a key date in island history as it was then…
20.39 MILES
This small island just off Cregneash is on one of western Britain's major bird migration routes, and 33 species breed annually here, including Manx…
13.04 MILES
From Viking kings to ’70s disco, this abbey has lived its fair share of history. Founded in 1134, it was one of the island's most important centres of…
Grove Museum of Victorian Life
7.54 MILES
This imposing house was built in the mid-19th century by Liverpool shipping merchant Duncan Gibb as a summer retreat for himself and his family. It has…
15.12 MILES
This collection of ancient monuments between Castletown and Cregneash includes a Bronze Age grave dating to 10,000 BC, a Christian chapel from around 900…
Nearby Isle of Man attractions
3.47 MILES
The wheel-headed cross at Lonan Old Church, just north of Douglas, is the island's most impressive early Christian cross.
2. Maughold Church & Stone Crosses
5.98 MILES
The church in the small village of Maughold is located on the site of an ancient Celtic monastery founded in AD 600; a small shelter houses quite a good…
3. Manx Museum & National Art Gallery
6.11 MILES
This modern museum begins with an introductory film to the island's 10,000-year history and then races through it, making various stops including Viking…
4. Grove Museum of Victorian Life
7.54 MILES
This imposing house was built in the mid-19th century by Liverpool shipping merchant Duncan Gibb as a summer retreat for himself and his family. It has…
9.2 MILES
A four-tiered hill that is one of the island's most distinctive landmarks, Tynwald Hill is where, on July 5, the annual open-air meeting of the parliament…
11.41 MILES
Peel's big attraction is the ruin of the 11th-century Peel Castle, stunningly positioned atop St Patrick's Island and joined to Peel by a causeway. There…
11.43 MILES
The House of Manannan museum uses interactive displays to explain Manx history and its seafaring traditions. It includes reconstructions of a Viking…
13.04 MILES
From Viking kings to ’70s disco, this abbey has lived its fair share of history. Founded in 1134, it was one of the island's most important centres of…