Laxey

Laxey is a former mining village in a steep glen on the east coast, known above all for the Laxey Wheel, the largest working waterwheel in the world. Built to pump water out of the lead and zinc workings, it turns against the hillside on a masonry tower with a spiral staircase up to the viewing platform. From the village the Snaefell Mountain Railway climbs on Victorian electric cars to the island's only summit, from which Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales can all be seen on a clear day. A narrow gauge mine railway, a shingle beach and a wooded glen complete the place.