Isle of Man's Great Laxey Wheel could turn again by 2022

The Great Laxey Wheel is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions

The world's largest working water wheel could turn again by 2022 after funding to repair it has been secured, a heritage body has said.

The 72ft (22m) diameter Great Laxey Wheel has not operated since September 2020 due to damage.

The £450,000 repairs will be funded by Manx National Heritage (MNH) and the government.

Jonathan Hall, of MNH, said the charity hoped to get the "iconic" wheel turning "at the earliest opportunity".

MNH has sold a property that was bequeathed to it in a will to fund its half of the repair costs.

It said "if all goes well" the Laxey Wheel should be ready to welcome visitors early in the 2022 tourism season.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said the wheel was a "cornerstone" of the island's visitor industry and he was pleased to have found a "pragmatic solution" to get it working again.

The wheel was used to pump water from the Laxey Mines but is now a tourist attraction

A further £300,000 will be spent on painting and other minor repairs, MNH said.

The Laxey landmark, which was built in 1854, has had several structural failures recently.

Known as the Lady Isabella, the wheel was stopped in August 2019 after damage to a timber rod was found.

It began turning again almost a year later, without the damaged rod, but it had to be halted again just a few months later when damage to another timber rod was discovered.

The repair work is expected to begin later this year.