Rushen Abbey and the Laxey Wheel to Open from this Thursday
17 June 2020
Manx National Heritage, the charity responsible for the care and promotion of the Island’s natural and cultural heritage, today announced the re-opening of two more of their sites for local residents to enjoy. Rushen Abbey and the Laxey Wheel will open from Thursday 18 June from 11am to 3pm.
Following last Thursday’s announcement by the Chief Minister lifting the social distancing measures, both sites will now open fully to the public with visitors able to enjoy the Rushen Abbey Interpretive Centre and heritage shop as well as the beautiful gardens there, and access to climb to the top of Laxey Wheel in addition to walking the grounds and mines trail.
Additional COVID-19 safety measures will be in place to protect staff and visitors including hand sanitisers, PPE for staff, Perspex screens at admission points and contactless/card payments preferred to cash. Toilets will be open to the public with visitors asked to aid good hygiene by wiping down surfaces before and after use, with anti-bacterial wipes provided. Some restrictions will be in place on some of the interactives and all dressing up costumes have been removed.
Gaynor Haxby, Head of Public Services for Manx National Heritage said:
“The Rushen Abbey gardens are looking particularly splendid just now and we are delighted to be able to welcome visitors in to enjoy them at their best. The magnificence of the Laxey Wheel has graced the front cover of many a publication and although she won’t be turning in the first few days or so of opening, she is still a sight to behold. Engineers will be visiting the site in the next few days to undertake safety checks and tests following work undertaken last year and the prolonged break. The long dry spell we have had also means that there is not enough water currently for her to turn but as soon as she has passed her safety checks and we get a little rain, she will be “turnin, turnin, turnin” once again. In the meantime you can enjoy a relaxing walk in the grounds or a more strenuous climb to the top to take in the panoramic views over the Laxey Valley”.
Both attractions join Peel Castle in opening from Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm. Potential visitors will be pleased to hear that now that the social distancing measures have been removed and the Peel Castle toilets will also be open to visitors to the castle.
Members, Annual Pass holders, children and students receive free entry to MNH sites. Single Adult Admission to Rushen Abbey and Laxey Wheel is £8 per person per site or an Annual Pass can be purchased for £25 and will remain valid until the end of the 2021 Season on 30/10/2021 enabling visitors to enjoy all of the MNH sites when they re-open without further charge for the rest of this year and all of next Season.
For information ahead of planning a visit www.manxnationalheritage.im.
ENDS
Image captions:
Laxey Wheel
Rushen Abbey Gardens
For further information, please contact:
Lynsey Clague, Heritage Communications Manager
Tel: 01624 648032
Laxey Wheel
Rushen Abbey