Manx National Heritage has been awarded the ‘Institute of Historic Building Conservation North West Conservation Award’ for conservation of the Great Laxey Wheel.

Lady Isabella is the world’s biggest working water wheel and is set to undergo phase two of its structural repair scheme soon following on from nine months of work last year.

MNH has said the timbers gave arrived ahead of the further work, which is set to repair and conserve the wheel’s rod duct and T-rocker.

The award is presented annually for a project that demonstrates the best historic building conservation practice in the North West, and this year the iconic 1854 Manx landmark has been voted as number one.

The Laxey Wheel was up against other Institute of Historic Building Conservation members involved in historic building conservation projects within Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire or the Isle of Man.
The logistics of the project as well as the sourcing of the materials were noted as primary considerations in the granting of the award, reinforced by the highly unusual and exceptional nature of the project and the status and significance of the wheel to the island. In the first phase of the project, which saw scaffolding on the famous water wheel for a number of months last year, old render and defective timbers suffering decay were replaced, ironmongery repaired and the wheel, housing, railings and viewing platform repainted. 

During its initial conservation phase the wheel stood static for a lengthy period of time, going against the well-known Laxey Wheel song lyrics that ‘it will keep on turning till the sands of time run out’.

However, in autumn last year it began to turn again, which concluded the first phase of the most comprehensive project completed on Lady Isabella since her restoration almost 40 years ago.

Timbers for the second phase of the project recently arrived on site in preparation for imminent commencement of phase two of the project.

John-Paul Walker, historic Buildings Architect for Manx National Heritage said: ‘Manx National Heritage is delighted to receive this prestigious award for our work on the first phase of Laxey Wheel’s conservation.

The judges considered this was a wonderful project, integrating conservation engineering with carefully specified and executed fabric repairs’.

Paul Hartley, chair of Institute of Historic Building Conservation North West, said: ‘The judges considered this was a wonderful project, integrating conservation engineering with carefully specified and executed fabric repairs.

‘The logistics of the project as well as the sourcing of the materials were noted as primary considerations in the granting of the award, reinforced by the highly unusual and exceptional nature of the project and the status and significance of the wheel to the Isle of Man’. 

Members of the public will be able to  follow the progress of phase two on the MNH Facebook page this winter and on site from Friday, March 29.