Inside the Cathedral we bumped into Jeremiah again ( on the right) who had made the acquaintance of Henry. Henry worked at the Cathedral doing a variety of jobs in return for food and shelter. Today he was supervising three prisoners who were digging up the driveway. The prisoners had volunteered for the work and would not be paid but would receive their food and enjoy time out of the prison. They seemed happy in what they were doing but I didn't photograph them.
This part of the garden is one of the two hemispheres mentioned in the description below which is an extract from the Cathedral's website :
There is much still to do to complete this project.
I hope to return to the Island and see for myself the finished garden.
Henry had already invited Jeremiah to stay for lunch and extended the invite to us but sadly we declined as there was still much to see on our last day on the Island. The rain clouds had moved on and the sun and blue skies were making an appearance as we wandered through the streets.
These are the remains of S Peter's church which was deemed unsafe after a fire in 1958 and was demolished shortly afterwards. Originally built around 1550, only the outer walls and the clock and bell tower from 1872 remain.
The sun was now shining and we walked down to the sea. It is a sandy beach although I think the one at the Port of Erin is a better one for families.
We walked round the coast a short distance to Peel Castle.
Peel castle is situated on St Patrick's Isle, a small island connected to the town by a causeway. The castle was constructed in the 11th century by the Vikings. It has had many additions and alterations over the centuries.
The sea was a greeny blue and crystal clear.
The round tower dates back to the 10th and 11th century and was originally part of a celtic monastery.
10th century St Patrick's chapel.
Glad to see the sun came out for you on your last day. That place has a fascinating history.
ReplyDeleteWow. The history!! The sights!! Cool.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful views of the sea. I love the old chapel, castle and tower images. Beautiful place! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteSo many stone buildings. I hope there is some left.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting tour and history. I'm glad the rain was short lived. Great pictures, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting post of the history and the meetings with locals.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have a local guide of the cathedral. I agree that you should return when the gardens are complete as they sound very nice. I didn’t realize the sad WWII history of the Isle of Man.
ReplyDeletePeel Castle is particularly impressive.
ReplyDeleteDon't think I ever heard Little Red Riding Hood interpreted that way:( Amazing history, some quite sad. Places like that give me goose bumps.
ReplyDeleteThat guy biking and camping had quite the experiences that he will remember a long time.
Love the old castle! Looks like great weather.
ReplyDeleteThe Isle of Man is off the radar for many people as a choice of holiday destination. It's a real shame because as you show and relate, the island is very welcoming and picturesque.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my time in Ireland. I'm not familiar with the symbol in the last shot.
ReplyDeleteYes, could you tell us what the symbol in the last picture represents, its meaning, etc.?
ReplyDeleteIt looks lovely. Sometimes I miss living near the sea.
ReplyDeleteYou are a great tour guide! I so enjoyed the pictures and especially meeting Jeremiah and Henry. The people we meet in our travels are as we say the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteI would have only picked this as the IOM from the last picture - it does look like a great place.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Wow! What photos! What a place and what history!
ReplyDeleteHappy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I'm so glad you share this trip with us, there's so much to see! It sounds like you had a great day. The photos are really awesome.
ReplyDeleteI always feel sad about the castles that lay in ruins. If it weren't demanded that they take off the roof to prove it weren't inhabited for tax purposes, we would have so much more to see.
My Corner of the World
Isle of Man looks beautiful. Even the ruins look so charming.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story of the prisoners. :)
Even though the population of Peel is small, the city could still have been modernised and changed. Your photo still looks serene.
ReplyDeleteI love all the ruins or remains. Especially St. Peter's church. Nice stroll.
ReplyDeleteSuch interesting history and lovely photographs.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan