21-Feb-2022
Since getting here, we've been assiduously walking stretches of old railway tracks. To date, we've walked the length of the Foxdale to St Johns route (just a short one, that), plus St Johns to Crosby on the Peel-Douglas line.
Today we embarked on our first bit of another line: The old Manx Northern Railway, which opened in 1879, and ran from St John's to Ramsey. In 1905 it became part of the Isle of Man Railway Company, and it closed in 1968.
But to deserve some flattish railway line, you have to first do some climbing...
So we started near Spooyt Vane, a waterfall that I haven't visited since I lived here decades ago:
Such an impressive drop
And then we went up...
Splendidly sunny, though still jolly windy...
Up with the sheep
Very covetable...
Back down near the sea, at Lynague to be precise, we picked up our railway, but not before attracting some curious sheep:
These guys came stravaiging right across the field to say hello
The old railway
This viaduct at Glen Mooar was dismantled in 1975, so you have to climb down from the track and back up again. But there are plans to reinstate it
This must have been a really scenic ride:
So, Lynague to Glen Mooar: Tick! A good walk, all in all, despite the bracing winds.
Turning back up towards Spooyt Vane and the car