I know that Andy Johnson, of Manx National Heritage, is
an incredibly popular speaker and that traditional Manx buildings are very much
in the hearts of our members but to watch over eighty flood into the Centenary
Centre theatre was a joy. If only our political masters, local and national
cared as much!
Andy began by reminding us that virtually none of our
old buildings are protected. He requested members and friends to feed in
information and local history of Peel and its buildings into the ‘Traditional
Buildings of Man Project’ at
www.tbm.im
The illustrations on screen were very emotive. Under ‘Buildings Already Lost’ was Ronaldsway
Farm, the home of Illiam Dhone. This prompted many others to be named from the
audience.
‘Buildings Already Going’ included many thatched
buildings, a particular interest of Andy’s.
We then saw Awyn Beg, Surby, with its complex
development interest using simple materials such as thatch, elevated roof, later
asbestos tiles, render and then the two dwellings combined into one. The
building is still in place but much changed. The audience was very interested in
the ways that a building’s history can be’ read’ with a little
practice.
Knock Rushen, a gentrified quarterland farmhouse,
including its outbuildings was much admired. We noticed the developments over
time from the 18thC. Onwards.
Cummal Beg, Smeale showed early pictures of a simple,
single storied cottage developing with an extra storey and various extensions
making use of bricks from local brickworks, now gone.
There was much interest in a wicker chimney flue in
Bride. These were covered with wattle and daub, making them fire resistant.
There are several surviving examples. They were cheap to build and popular when
stone was in short supply. Available materials included beach pebbles, turves,
mud, thatch, cob and corrugated iron. The latter has been around long enough to
be thought of as ‘traditional’!
‘Unsuspected Significance’. The 15th C.
Friary, Ballabeg, is a good example. What, at first seems to be a barn, is seen
to be of massive, national, historic significance. This former Franciscan Chapel
has survived by the skin of its teeth. What now for this building, illustrating,
as it does, such an important part of the Island’s
development?
Next up was Ballapaddag with its complex extensions and
excellent, internal woodwork. Then, to Ballavargher with its slate-hung façade
and a fine range of outbuildings. Craig, Andreas illustrated developmental
growth between the 18th – 20th centuries. It was the home
of father and son MHKs Robert and Robert Sayle Corlett.
‘Industrial Architecture’. This includes a whole range
of activities – mills, mines, railways, weaving sheds, net and sail lofts. All
too late, the value of these structures are being appreciated for their
intrinsic qualities and record of our history and development. Smeale’s smithy
has been lost but that at St Marks is to be protected.
We looked at fishermens’ cottages at Port St Mary, Poyll
Vaish (Pool of death!), Garwick, Port Mooar all enjoying good access to the sea.
Examples of weavers’ sheds were seen at Surby and Ballafesson. One has only to
half- close one’s eyes to see them as hives of activity. What a joy it is to
visit places where weaving has been re-introduced to good
effect.
Andy reminded us of the MNH National Monuments Record.
He said that it contained c. 5 000 archaeological records and a goodly number of
industrial sites but had very few buildings on record. If you can help with this
work, please contact MNH.
The audience sprang to life when ‘Traditional Buildings
of Peel’ hit the screen. We saw very early 18th c buildings at 27 –
29 Douglas Street, now gone and Callister’s House, the oldest in Peel, once in
Douglas Street, smashed down in 1949.
Orry Lane is of great interest. Formerly known as Custom
House Lane, it extended across to Gawne’s Court. This yard was behind a coaching
inn owned by the Gawnes of Kentraugh and then became the School of
Navigation.
Castle Street with its fine 18th c.
merchants’ houses is still of great interest. Deemsters and other wealthy people
lived there, all profiting, no doubt, from the ‘running trade’ as smuggling was
referred to!
Strand Street, Bridge Street, Factory Lane were all
admired, including their once-common cowsheds. This was pre- readily obtainable
milk from dairies.
Warehouses and the huge salt house, demolished in 1952
were examined with great interest before we moved on to public buildings with
‘classical pretensions’ such as chapels and courthouses. Hotels, villas and
Victorian terraces all invited closer inspection.
The discussion after refreshments was led by expressions
of anger at the mindless loss of so many important buildings in our story. The
Majestic Hotel, Onchan, Baillie Scott’s first large work and of international
importance, recently flattened for modern apartments. Even his own home,
designed and built for himself and family, The Red House, is suffering
structural alterations internally and externally. The member who raised this
asked what was the point of registering buildings of this quality to see the
‘protection’ so readily tossed aside to the nation’s loss.
This meeting was hailed as a masterly presentation and
was inspirational. Would that any of rulers were listening!
Our next meeting is on Wednesday, 16th April
at 7.30pmin the Centenary Centre, when Dr Fenella Bazin speaks on Viking Women
in the Isle of Man.
