Castletown - Castle Rushen

Monday, April 24, 2023

Castle Rushen, Castletown

The last stop on the Isle of Man was Castletown in the south just by the airport. We had taken the steam railway down and I planned to walk to the airport a short distance from here. The town centre is very compact and is main feature is Castle Rushen.

This was the seat of Government until the end of the 1700s. Castle Rushen is also one of the oldest preserved medieval castles in Europe. Our Island tourist pass allowed us entry into the museum.

I had my bag and the lady allowed me to leave it at back of the gift shop without me even asking. This allowed me more mobility.

By the entrance is a room where a monk was imprisoned for about 15 days, as well as the archers that peered thru to protect the entrance.

There are various displays about the political and cultural history. There is a walking path to guide you thru.

The winding stairs then lead you to a two level rooftop. From here were panorama views of the town, the airport, and the sea.

Leading down it guides you thru a historical guide of the various periods. First was the medieval dining hall.

The room was decorated with replica tapestries to illustrate the furnishing

There were Kings portraits hanging down the stairway. As someone from the UK I did not know they had their own monarchy for several centuries.

There were different Royal rooms from the 17th and 18th centuries

Exiting the central Norman style keep you could walk around the inner walls and cannons, as well as walk along the ramparts.

Outside the House of Keys is the old Parliament but was closed and by appointment only. The old schoolhouse is also by appointment.

Finally we had a traditional manx dish, chips with gravy and chees for 6 pounds. They said it was cheap warm food for the sailors but the concept was the same as Canadian poutine.

I then parted from my friend who would be staying longer and began my walk to the airport. Along with Peel Castle and the heritage railways this was another highlight of the trip and I managed with no rain.

See also vlog (13 mins) - https://youtu.be/duK0sqAOTr8