Block Eary

Fallen trees and ruined farms

 

Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 

    We started off along a path on the west side of the Sulby River.  Across the river there was still evidence of a ferocious winter storm six or seven years ago when many of the trees fell in the gales.  There was also damage to the footpaths and bridges.  The lower paths through Tholt-y-Will Glen on the far side of the river have remained closed ever since.

 

  

 

    We stopped for a rest on the way up the zig-zag path.  There are a number of deserted farm buildings in various states of decay up on the steep sides of Sulby Glen and they were reached mainly by zig-zag tracks from the valley below.  This track would have led to Slieaumanagh farm and possibly on to Block Eary farm at the head of the valley.  It has been maintained because it is the only access to the Block Eary Dam.  It wasn't quite misty yesterday morning but there was a damp haze in the air which makes the distant views appear in soft focus.

 

 

The view across the Block Eary valley - from the ruins of Slieaumanagh farm to the ruins of Ballaskella farm (on the left side of the photo).

 

 

    Is this the largest fence post on the Island?   At the top corner of a little plantation we passed through this opening in an old stone wall.  In the past there was a shortage of timber on the Island and there are still quite a few examples of lengths of Manx slate being used as gate posts - with holes drilled in the stone to hang the gate.  But I have never seen such a huge slab of slate used as a fence post before.

 

 

    We joined up with the Millennium Way and turned down into the valley above Block Eary dam.  Near the little foot bridge there are a number of mysterious mounds.  They are marked on the maps as mounds, shielings or hut circles.  I found a website which described them as Medieval Shielings.   Shielings are temporary dwellings used by earlier farmers during the summer months when they grazed their animals up in the hills.

 

    There are no pictures of the mounds because the photography came to an abrupt stop for a while.  There were a few sheep around and I had two dogs on leads and was concentrating on keeping upright while negotiating a steep, wet, eroded downhill path.  After we crossed the little wooden bridge we had a steep climb up the other side of the valley and around the back of Snaefell until we reached the road from Bungalow down into Sulby.  My legs don't like steep uphill climbs when they have just had to endure steep downhills so I was more concerned with survival than photographs - but it wasn't a very photogenic part of the walk anyway.

 

    Then we followed the road until we reached the gate into  upper Tholt-y-Will Glen.    I liked the look of these frail and pallid, leafless larches - almost like the spirits of trees. 

 

 

    Further down the path followed the course of the stream - and we came across a more cheerful young beech still adorned in autumn colours.

 

 

    And finally, yet another fallen tree - a huge beech supported by the steep bank.  High enough above the path to walk under it.