Laxey
Seven miles north of Douglas, filling a narrow valley, the straggling village of Laxey spills down from its train station to a small harbour and long pebbly beach, squeezed between two bulky headlands. Slightly inland and uphill lies the pride of Laxey known as 'Lady Isabella', the Great Laxey Wheel, smartly painted in red and white. With a diameter of over 72 ft it's said to be the largest working waterwheel in the world. Until 1929 the wheel was used to pump water from the local lead mines which, with their silver-rich ore, were a major money-spinner. Apart from the 'tourist' wheel, the main attraction for visitors, as with Douglas, is to be found in its oldest quarter clustering around the ancient harbour, half-a-mile below the station.