New events added to Manx heritage open days

Peace, Poetry and the Past at Ballaugh Old Church is a new event for 2023

An audio history of a northern church and a community boat building project are two of the latest events to feature in a series of heritage open days.

In July, Manx National Heritage (MNH) put out a call for new experiences to be added to a programme of walks, talks and displays.

MNH's Helen Ashcroft said the events helped to "keep history fascinating in the eyes of the public".

The series starts later this month and runs over two weekends.

The open days, which have been running from more than a decade, give the public the chance to see more of the national collections that are not always on display.

It also aims to help people learn the stories behind some historical sites.

Ms Ashcroft said a new church event, called Peace, Poetry and the Past at Ballaugh Old Church, would be an "evocative" experience in the "beautiful building".

There are several events based at the Manx Museum as part of the six-day programme

The inclusion of the Laxey Skiff Building Community Project in the 2023 programme "shows the diversity" of the groups and organisations MNH was partnering with, she said.

She said people wanted to use the heritage open days to "showcase the important work they're doing within the community".

Other events in the programme include histories of the Southern 100 race control and timekeeping and Peel lifeboat station and the folklore of Glen Mona.

The full programme of events, which are all free to attend, is being made available at MNH sites island-wide.

Ms Ashcroft said working with community partners allowed people to celebrate their own history and heritage.

She said: "It's not just our professional opinion about how history is collected an presented.

"We're handing it back out and giving people the mechanisms to be able to present what they think is important back to our people."