A new film about tholtans on the island has been released by Culture Vannin.

‘Tholtans of the Manx Crofter’ takes a unique look in to the past of the island, from tholtans lost to the sea 50 years ago, northern railway stations just after their closure or a reservoir dried out to a stream.

‘Tholtan’ is the Manx word for an abandoned house or a ruin of a building with was once a former dwelling.

Culture Vannin, which supports, promotes and celebrates Manx culture, has created the film from a presentation of hundreds of photographs of tholtans around the island from around 60 years ago.

Recorded in 1991, the photographer and author, Mike Goldie, presents a slide show of photographs he took all over the Isle of Man between 1965 and 1991.

Mike Goldie was born at Laurel Bank, close to St John’s, in 1934. His photographs of tholtans were published in 1996 in a book co-authored with Gordon N. Kniveton, entitled, ‘Tholtans of the Manx Crofter.’

About 100 more tholtans appear in the film than featured in this book.

However, many of the ruins featured in the presentation have either deteriorated beyond recognition or else have disappeared completely.

Alongside Mr Goldie’s photographs, his stories and information about the places are shared throughout the film, including captured fairies, holy wells, poltergeist and ‘the Ronague Spook’.

The presentation opens with Cranstal Cottage in Bride, first photographed with the thatch still on in 1965, then with only one wall standing in the 1970s as the sea ate away at the coastline. Today nothing remains at all of Cranstal Cottage.

A lot of the photographs throughout the film show a side of the island not to be seen today, including the Groudle Glen Railway rusting in the weeds before its restoration, Injebreck Reservoir almost entirely empty in the great 1960s drought, and a traditional harvest at Balldoole.

‘Tholtans of the Manx Crofter’ is just over two and a half hours long, and is now available on the Culture Vannin website, culturevannin.im, and its YouTube channel.

James Franklin, online and educational resources officer at Culture Vannin, said: ‘This presentation from 31 years ago offers a unique picture of the island’s landscape which could not be repeated today. In this, it is not only beautiful and insightful, but also poignant and so important.’

Dr Breesha Maddrell, Director of Culture Vannin, says: ‘It is wonderful that Mike Goldie had the foresight to record this aspect of the changing face of the island’s vernacular architecture, and, along with that, something of a traditional way of life.

‘It is a privilege now to be able to pass this on for all to see and enjoy.’