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Coordinates: 54°13'40?N 4°24'07?W? / ?54.227778, -4.401944
Laxey (Manx: Laksaa) is a town on the coast in the north east of the Isle of Man. Laxey's population is 1,725 according to the 2001 census.
Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'.
In the 1800s, mining for lead and zinc began, becoming the largest industry the town has ever had. In 1854 the Laxey Wheel (Lady Isabella) was built to pump water from the mine shafts but mining in Laxey came to an end 35 years later in 1929.
The town is now a tourist attraction boasting several gardens to wander in at leisure, primarily Laxey Glen Gardens. There is also a handweaving mill which sells its own and many other products. The town is built around a glen with many steep streets and paths leading to the glen floor. From the glen floor it is possible to walk with the Laxey River to the outflow to the sea at the small harbour and onto the beach and promenade. It is also possible to walk around the cliffs to the north of the beach where stunning views of Clay Head to the south can be had.
View from hill above Laxey
Laxey station, in the north of the town, is one of the termini for the Snaefell Mountain Railway and also a station on the Manx Electric Railway.
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(Source: Wikipedia) |