The Old Grammar School is a fascinating building dating back to around 1200AD when it was built as the first town church for the settlement that grew up around Castle Rushen, fortress of the Norse Kings of Mann and the Isles.

Things to see and do:

• Step inside the oldest roofed structure in the Isle of Man.
• Sit at an old fashioned bench desk in the Victorian classroom.
• Imagine the strict schoolmaster carrying his cane.
• Learn reading, writing and arithmetic.
• Read lessons from the blackboard.
• Crack the mathematical code
• Look at Victorian books and school equipment
• See examples of children’s work in Victorian times.

Information for Disabled Visitors:

Convenient drop off point located outside of main entrance. There is a public car park outside the main entrance. The inside of the building is currently not wheelchair accessible due to a large step. Staff receive some disability awareness training. Guided tours can be arranged for visually impaired and blind visitors and large format information about the site can be provided. The nearest public toilets with disabled facilities are located on Farrants Way. Registered assistance dogs are welcomed.

How to get there:

• By foot and road: situated in the town centre, signposted in Castletown.
• By bus: 1, 1C, 2, 2A, 8. Steam Railway: All stations to Castletown. Parking: public car parks and 2 hour disc zone parking nearby.

Please click on this map to enlarge

FREE ADMISSION.

Opening times:Open 10am to 5pm from Monday to Sunday, Easter to October.

Heritage attractions nearby: Castle Rushen, the Old House of Keys and the Nautical Museum in Castletown, and Rushen Abbey in Ballasalla.

Further Information

This small whitewashed building has witnessed many changes in the life of the community that it was built to serve over 650 years ago. It was the first town church for the settlement that grew up around Castle Rushen, fortress of the Norse Kings of Man and the Isles. The main wing is the oldest roofed structure in the Island—older than all but the lowest courses of masonry of the Castle itself.

St. Mary’s Chapel was also used as a school from at least 1570 and served exclusively in that capacity after 1702. It is best known for the Academic School, the forerunner of King William’s College, and the Grammar School which finally closed in 1930.

The building was only saved from demolition by the Museum Trustees nailing a preservation order onto its door in 1950 with the Museum later purchasing and restoring it.