Follow the Vikings Study Tour
lsle of Man October 2024
Why the tour?
The Destination Viking Association was scheduled to hold its AGM on the lsle of Man in March 2020 bul had to cancel at short notice due to the outbreak of Covid. Delegates al subsequent AGM’s expressed the desire to visrt the lsle of Man as it had been over a decade sincea meeting had been held here.
Seminar on day one
There are two DVA members onthelsle of Man: Manx National Herrtage, and the re enactment group “Vikings of Mann”. Rather than host an AGM, it was suggested that a study tour might be more useful. Accordingly the local team(Allison Fox, John Shakespeare and Edmund Southworth) designed a three day tour Which would introducethe Viking Heritage of the lsle ofMan. The tour also focussed on Tourism and the presentation of Viking Herilage in museums and in the countryside.
The IOM in the Viking world
The lsle of Man occupies a unique posrtion in the Viking world. Il is located in the middle of the Irish Sea – some 80kms or so from lreland, Scotland, England and Wales. It therefore has a strategie importance in the early Viking period from about 800 when Vikings were attacking the rich monastic selllements along the Irish and Scottish coastlines. Il provided good harbours, flat beaches, fresh water and good agricultural land. There is material and archaeological evidence of selllement and burials. This is significant and recent finds of silver and gold confirm significant and wealthy settlement. The relationship with Viking Dublin wasparticularly strong.
What makes Mann different is that alter the “Norman Conquest’ of England in the late 11″ century a new dynasty of Norse Kings was established on Mann. This new Kingdom of Mann and the lsles” continued to have close relationships with Norway in particular and is still recognisably “Viking” in many ways lor a further 200 years. This late Norse period established legal, Jandowning and politica! frameworks which slill exist loday. The lsle of Man isstill not technically part of lhe Untted Kingdom.
Andy Johnson from MNH informing about the Marx Crosses in Old Kirk Braddsin.
Tourism on the lsle of Man
In the late 18″ century the Napoleonic Wars in Europe ended the traditional Grand Tour of llaly and Greece by young British alistocrats and merchants. They looked instead to the more remole areas of their own country” such as Scolland, lreland and Wales. The lsle of Man was also considered an exotic destination so many traveners carne and wrote about their experiences. By the end of the 19″ century raitways andsteamships had democratised mass-travel and the lsle of Man became amass destination alongside Blackpool and olller seasideresortslor the wotkers of the English lndustrial North.
In Tynwald.
Peel and Peel Castle.
The lsland had good beaches and dramatic scenery but there was asignificant investment in theinfraslructure of tourism, with promenades, hotels, steamrailways and electric tramways. At the height of the boom just before the 1914-18 War !here were over 600,000 visttors in the short summer season. By the 1970’s however the growth of cheap air travel to the countries of theMedtterranean ended this mass travel. Recent years have shown a return to atourismoffer based onculture, heritage and wild-life.
Who carne on the tour?
There were 31 participants on the tour from lceland, Faroe lslands, Norway, Sweden, Denmalk, lreland, England and France. They represented Museums, local authorities, Viking attractions and tourism agencies. Most hadnot been tothe lsle of Manbefore andmost had also notparticipated in any Follow the Vikings events.
Programme
The programme started with a welcome !rom the new head of Manx National Heritage, Gonnie Lovell, and an introduction to the Follow the Vikings Viking Cultural Route by Edmund Southworth, the forrner director. This was followed by Allison Fox and Andy Johnson !rom MNH Who summarised the rich Viking legacyin both finds and monuments in the landscape. Allison and Andy showed usthe Viking exhibtts in the MarotMuseum in the afternoon. Katie King !rom MNH told us about the amazing legacy of tourism in the late 19• and early 20″ centuriesandtts impact onthe island. We were joined by colleagues !rom the V,stt IOM tourismagency wllo outlined the current strategylor attracting tourists to the lsland
As part of this seminar we asked delegates to introduce themselves and share current issues facing !heir organisation. This provokes a useful discussion and was feit to be very helpful. Most delegates wanted more opportunities to share experiences and establish joint projects.
The second day started wtth a visit to Old Kirk Braddan, an 18″ century church which houses some of the 200 “Manx Crosses• – an important group of Late Celtic and Norse carvings Which demonstrate the fusion of Christian andScandinavian belief. We then went to Tynwald Church and Tynwald Hili which together show that the lsland retains much of the original Viking tradrtions of government.
Outside the House of Manannan in Peel.
We then went to Peel Castle and the House of Manannan on the West Coast of tlle lsland. Peel Castle is an important Viking settlement, graveyard anct fortifîcation which became the centre of the Kîngdom till the 1180’s. The House of Mannanan îs a purpose-built Visitor Centre and Museum Whîch caters for tourists and the local community. lt îs 25 years oldand delegates were ableto dîscuss the issues of refreshing attractîons anddealing with outdated technology.
Ahighlight of thetour was a tour of Tynwald în Douglas, the current Manx Partiament, given by theSpeaker of the Parliament, LaurenceSkelly, wholooi<time out of hîsbusy schedule to welcome us and allow us to experience the unique sealing arrangements of thîs tri-aimeral institution.
At Tynwald in Douglas: Laurence Skelly speake of the Max Parliament welcoming the group.
40 of us had Dinner together in Douglas with a few invüed guestsincluding Lars Ugland, the former Norwegian consul on the lsland. This was a great opportunity to network professionally as well asmake newlriends.
The steam railway.
Day three of the tour started with a joumey on the 140 year old narrow gauge steam raitway to Caslletown. This was followedby a visü to the Viking boat burial süe at Balladoole which is built over a Christian cemetery, üselt in an Iron Age foftified hili. The süe also has Bronze Ageburials and aChristian chapel probably from the 11″ century.
At Balladoole Viking boat burial site. CastIe Rushen.
We then visîted st Michaers lsle Which sits in a dramatic Norse period landscape and housed a 12″ century chape! andseveral 16″ and 17″ century fortifications. The fierce wind and rainonly added to the sense ofplace.
The last stop of the tour was Castle Rushen, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe which was built by one of thelater Norse Kings around 1180 When the Kingdom was in decline, the Scottish islands had broken away and he had decided to show allegiance to the Kings of England. The Castle exemplilies many of the challenges of making complex historie structures accessible and interpreting 800 years of history wîthin its walls.
Evaluation
We askedpeople aflerwards lor their feedback. lt was dearthat wehaddelivered a good experience andmet their expectations. Wegot the balance of indoor andoutdoor activîty right. We also provided plenty of timelor people to talk to each other and we can already see some of those conversations bearing fruit Il was also dear that DVAneeds todo beller at communicating with allits members andproviding opportunîties tomeet up.
Themodel of three full days duringthe week with two days of travelling cleartyworked even though most delegates had two or more flights.Il was really good to see younger members of the DVA”family”lor the firsttime andthis was seen as agood·continuing Professional Developmenr (CPD) opportunîty.
I am very grateful to colleagues on the lsland for their efforts to make the tour work, and to Geir and Ole for their help. Special thanks to Veronica Björkman for dealing with the finances remotely.
Edmund Southworth, lsle of Man, November 2024
Pictures:
Rögnwaldur Gudmundsson
Veronica Björkman
Vieky Mikalsen