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Laxey. Laxey (Manx: Laksaa) is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'. Its key distinguishing features are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwheel in the world. It is also the location of King Orry's Grave.
- Laxey is a small village on the east coast of the Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea.
- During the Viking Age, Laxey was a significant centre for trade and agriculture, and it is believed that both Norse and Irish raiders attacked the village.
- In order to pump water out of the nearby mines, the Laxey Wheel, also known as Lady Isabella, was built in 1854. With a height of 72 feet, it is the world’s largest operational waterwheel.
- The Laxey Woollen Mills are located in Laxey and have been using traditional techniques to create high-quality textiles since 1881.
The Great Laxey Wheel was designed by local engineer Robert Casement to pump the water out of the mines. In the 1780s zinc and lead ore was discovered in the Laxey valley and attempts to mine these valuable minerals began.
The Great Laxey Wheel (or Lady Isabella) is the Isle of Man’s most iconic landmark and the largest working water wheel in the world. At 72 feet and 6 inches (over 22 metres) in diameter, this extraordinary feat of Victorian engineering was designed by Robert Casement and has brought visitors flocking to the picturesque village of Laxey for ...
Built up over the centuries the village sprawls along the sides of a deep glen, running down from the mine workings in its upper reaches, to the tiny harbour at the North end of a wide bay. Our Viking friends found Laxey to be a bountiful stopping off place on their roamings, hence the name.
The village name is of Scandinavian origin and translates to "Salmon River", from the abundance of salmon found in the river which flows down the slopes of the Island's only mountain, Snaefell, to the picturesque bay with its tiny harbour.
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Laxey like this: LAXEY, a village, a bay, a headland, a rivulet, and a vale in Kirk-Lonan parish, Isle of Man.
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