Isle of Man's Great Laxey Wheel repairs begin

Rotting timbers and other structural damage has kept the wheel from turning since 2020

The Great Laxey Wheel could turn again before the 2022 TT races, Manx National Heritage (MNH) has said.

Repair works have begun to the iconic 1854 landmark, which has been out of action since September 2020 due to structural issues.

Scaffolding will be placed over the entire wheel, which is 72ft (22m) in diameter, and it is hoped restoration work will be completed by May.

MNH architect John-Paul Walker said the restoration was a "complex puzzle".

"[The wheel] is going to slowly vanish behind the veil for awhile, before being revealed in all its beautifully restored and painted splendour," he said.

Mr Walker said the work needed to fix the Victorian monument was "as much an engineering as an architectural" challenge and he was "honoured" to work on it.

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

Auldyn Construction won the contract to complete the first phase of the project which involves replacement of rotting timbers and repainting.

The second phase, due to start in June, will see repairs to the connected T-rocker and ducts, with MNH calling on help from expert volunteers in the Laxey Mines Research group.

The last major repairs to the wheel, known as the Lady Isabella, took place in 1985.

A spokeswoman for MNH said the public would be given "managed access" throughout the project to give an insight into the restoration.

Part-funded by the Isle of Man Government, the first phase of the works is due to cost about £500,000, with costs for the second phase yet to be agreed.