One man, then a whole team
The mine closed and the wheel stopped. Lady Isabella survived thanks to a 32-year-old from Lonan, and later a long restoration.
Lady Isabella and the Great Laxey Wheel are the same wheel. Every fact is in our own words with its source linked beside it. Where good sources disagree, we show each version.
The mine closes
When did the mine close?
Manx National Heritage says the mine closed for the last time in 1929, and the wheel stopped and was abandoned. Manx National Heritage, 2022
The charity’s Google Arts & Culture story says mining continued until the mine was abandoned in 1932. Manx National Heritage, Google Arts & Culture
The Northern Mine Research Society says a much reduced workforce worked on until closure in 1934. Northern Mine Research Society
Even before the mine was abandoned, the wheel had become an important tourist destination. Manx National Heritage, Google Arts & Culture
In September 1930 a flash flood washed away several arches and left the rod hanging in mid-air. Manx National Heritage, Google Arts & Culture
Edwin Kneale
In December 1937 Edwin Kneale, a Lonan man, leased the wheel from its private owner and began repairing it. Manx National Heritage, 2022
He was 32, and risked his livelihood to save the wheel from demolition. Manx National Heritage, 2022
When the wheel was put up for auction in October 1946, Kneale bought it before the sale. Manx National Heritage, 2022
He refurbished it at his own expense. Manx National Heritage, 2022
In 1965 he transferred ownership to the Isle of Man Government. Manx National Heritage, 2022
Ownership later passed to the Manx Museum and National Trust, and the Island’s heritage charity looks after it today. Manx National Heritage, 2022
New Manx Worthies says all Manx people have that one man to thank. Manx National Heritage, 2022
Phase one: the wheel
Mechanical failure stopped the wheel in September 2020. Isle of Man Today
It turned again in October 2022, after extensive work. Isle of Man Today
Lady Lorimer, wife of the Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, set it turning at the official reopening. Manx National Heritage, 2022
The tradition of naming and starting the wheel with the Governor’s wife began in 1854 and was repeated at the 2022 reopening. Manx National Heritage, 2022
That first phase was the most comprehensive conservation work on Lady Isabella since her restoration almost 40 years earlier. Manx National Heritage, 2022
Phase one replaced old render and decayed timbers, repaired the ironwork and repainted the wheel, housing, railings and viewing platform. Manx National Heritage, 2022
Manx National Heritage says conservation on this scale happens only once or twice in a lifetime. Manx National Heritage, 2022
Phase two: the rods and the T-rocker
Phase two began in March 2024, with the Isle of Man firm CCJ Group as contractor. Manx National Heritage, 2024
Manx National Heritage calls it an award-winning project. Manx National Heritage, 2024
Phase two covers the rod duct and the T-rocker, rods, bogies, timbers and ironwork, so the wheel can drive them once again. Manx National Heritage, 2024
It includes new hardwood timber rods, and repointing and lime-washing the viaduct masonry. Isle of Man Today
The T-rocker sits in the valley beyond the reach of normal cranes, so it was dismantled inside a custom-made scaffold. Isle of Man Today
Once finished, the surviving mechanisms will be back in full working order. Isle of Man Today
On BBC One’s Villages by the Sea, Ben Robinson met Matthew Boyd, who was repairing and restoring the wheel. BBC
What comes next
Next, the old ticket office is being removed now the new Visitor Welcome Hub and Shop is open. Manx National Heritage, visiting
That old ticket office welcomed over a million visitors in 40 years. Manx National Heritage, visiting
Next: visiting →