Museums

The Great Laxey Wheel was named ‘Lady Isabella’ after the wife of the then Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man. It is now the largest surviving wheel of its kind in the world.

Designed by the Victorian engineer, Mr. Robert Casement, the wheel was built in 1854 to pump water from the Glen Mooar part of the ‘Great Laxey Mines’ industrial complex. The impressive 22m (72.5 feet) diameter structure found immediate popularity and has remained one of the Island’s most dramatic tourist attractions for over 150 years.

The ‘Lady Isabella’ survived largely through the efforts of one man, Laxey builder Edwin Kneale, who acquired the wheel to save it from being scrapped. Kneale operated the wheel as a tourist attraction until its purchase by the Manx Government in 1965 when a programme of complete restoration eventually returned the great wheel to its former glory. Subsequent acquisition of a neighbouring area of Glen Mooar made possible the extensive programme of surveys and clearance which established the Laxey Mines Trail.

Click here to view a 360 degree panoramic view of The Great Laxey Wheel & Mines Trail.

Laxey Mines Research Group