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Heritage Trail

by isleofman.com 26th, May 2022, 06:33pm

Isle of Man - Footpaths - Heritage Trail

 

This is the easiest of the Manx footpath trails, and it follows the trackbed of the Douglas-Peel Railway.

 

Information

 

Grading: Easy
Distance Approx. 11 miles (22 miles return)
Estimated Time: 3 hours (each way)

 

Route

 

  1. Part of the trackbed has been built on - some forms part of a path by the side of the new National Sports Centre in Douglas - but the trail proper begins just across the road from the Quarterbridge Inn.

  2. The first section has been metalled and forms the 'escape road', which allows access during TT Week to that part of the Island otherwise isolated by the closure of the road.

  3. As the escape road passes under the main road at what was once Braddan Church Halt, the old and new Braddan Churches lie to the left. This halt enabled the large crowds who came to the open-air Sunday services to avoid the two mile walk back into Douglas.

  4. The trail soon becomes a track bed surrounded by hedges with plenty of wildlife - most of the stations along this route were not impressive and few remains are visible.

  5. The path crosses Millennium Way just above Crosby, where a detour to visit Old Marown is well recommended, and the once extensive station complex at St John's (there were two stations there) has gone. However, another detour to visit Tynwald Hill and the National Church of St John's is almost mandatory.

  6. From there the trail follows the bank of the Neb, and ends in Peel.