Display charts renovation of traditional cottage

The buildings on the site date back to about 1840

The story of a 19th Century farmhouse in the south of the Isle of Man and a project to renovate it has been featured in a new exhibition.

Renovating a Tholtan showcases the history of the site, which located near the Sloc at Scard in Rushen, and a project by Katie Newton O’Meara and Mark O´Meara to transform it into a family home.

The exhibition will be on display at Rushen Heritage Centre, on Bridson Street in Port Erin, until 2 November.

Curator Staffan Overgaard said it was a "fascinating story" of the site's "rich history" and the couple's "incredible journey" over the past few years.

The couple bought the site three years ago

Mr O'Meara and Mrs Newton O'Meara bought the shell of the ruined farmhouse and two derelict barns three years ago, and moved into one of the buildings in August.

Work is ongoing to connect it to the farmhouse and rear barn to make it into a four-bedroom property.

The couple renamed the site from "Croit-e-Kirkjufal" which means Croft at the Church Mountain, to "Rollage ny Twoaie”, which is Manx Gaelic for North Star.

Mr O'Meara said as it was a "well-known landmark", the planning conditions were "tight and insisted on the retention of the original buildings, which were deemed structurally viable".

The couple also had to clear the site, which was overgrown with fuchsia bushes that were12ft (3.6m) high in places, as well as bringing utilities to the abandoned site, he said.

The the exhibition, which is the last of the season for the trust, is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday between 10:00 and 16:00 BST.

When that display comes to an end, the centre will be opened as a winter warm space in the village on Mondays and Wednesdays from 14:00 to 16:00 until February.