Parish of Ballaugh
Details
Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals... : 1042 Sheading: Michael Parish Church Parish church A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches.... : Ballaugh Village Industry Industry Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,... : Agriculture
Main Peaks
Height Slieau Dhoo 424m Mount Karrin 330m
Main Glens
Glen Dhoo Ravendale
Treens
Balymony Balyskebag Balycaine Broctarge Balyterson Balyvall Carnedall Baly Curryn Scrondall Bishops Demesne

Ballaugh is a parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 in the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

.

Parish

Ballaugh is a mainly agricultural district on the north-western coast of the island. The parish is one of three divisions of the sheading of Michael. The other two are Jurby

Jurby

Jurby is a parish in Micheal Sheading in the Isle of Man and has, according to the 2006 census 659 , residents.It is largely an agricultural district on the north-north-western coast of the island but also has an industrial park on the old RAF Jurby Airfield.The parish is one of three divisions of...

 and Michael District. Ballaugh runs for some three miles (5 km) along the north-west coastline of the island. The average breadth of the parish is about 3 miles (5 km) and it covers an area of around 9 square miles (23 km²). The south-east corner is hilly and the remainder is low, including part of the marshy depression of the Curraghs. The only village in the parish is Ballaugh

Ballaugh

Ballaugh is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of the same name. It is the only village in the parish.-Village:The village is situated on the main A3 Castletown to Ramsey road about seven miles west of Ramsey...

.

The current Captain of the Parish

Captain of the Parish

The Captain of the Parish is an official in each parish in the Isle of Man—formerly the title was Captain of the Parish Militia, but it is now only a titular honour...

 is Charles Edgar Cowin, who has held the post since 1993. The local authority is Ballaugh Parish Commissioners.

Demographics

The Isle of Man census 2006 lists the population of the parish as 1,042, an increase from the population of 868 in 2001.

History

There are in Ballaugh a number of sites of historical interest. There is a heritage group who hold regular meetings and arrange walks around the area. Research into the social history of the area, in particular the isolated Glen Dhoo, is being carried out. The name 'Ballaugh' derives from the Manx "Balley-ny-Loghey" or "the place of the lake". The Ballaugh Curraghs is all that remains of this lake. The lake, which measured up to a mile in length, was drained by the excavation about 300 years ago of the silted-up Lhen trench which, during the ice-age, is believed to have been a melt-water channel flowing north to south from the melting ice front.

Curragh Wildlife Park and Ballaugh Curragh

A mile east of the village is Curraghs Wildlife Park

Curraghs Wildlife Park

Curraghs Wildlife Park is a Wildlife Park, located in The Curraghs, , an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man....

 which is run by the Isle of Man Government

Isle of Man Government

The Isle of Man Government is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, representing HM Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann...

's Department of Tourism and Leisure

Department of Tourism and Leisure

The Department of Tourism and Leisure was a department of the Isle of Man Government.-History:The Department was created in 1986 as the Department of Tourism and Transport....

, is a haven for all sorts of wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

 wildlife. Most of the park is laid out in geographical sections, representing different continents of the world and the animals that can be found there. The central part of the park has a different format and contains specific animal exhibits and visitor attractions.

The park is located next to Ballaugh Curragh

Curragh (habitat)

The Curraghs, also known as the Ballaugh Curraghs is an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man. The area has a rich and varied biodiversity and is also the location of the Curraghs Wildlife Park, a zoo and nature reserve that incorporates the wetlands.- History :During the Ice Age the...

 wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

, the first wildlife site on the island to be internationally recognised, when in 2006 it was designated a Ramsar

Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...

 wetland of international importance. The site qualifies for international status as it has excellent examples of wetland habitats characteristic of the island and the region - bog pools, marshy grassland

Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

, birch

Birch

Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...

 woodland

Woodland

Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...

, modified bog and willow scrub (known as curragh). It also has on occasions the largest numbers of winter roosting hen harrier

Hen Harrier

The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates...

s in Western Europe

Western Europe

Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...

 and has breeding habitat for a highly endangered migratory bird, the Corn Crake

Corn Crake

The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...

. In 2005 the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Isle of Man)

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry or DAFF is a former department of the Isle of Man Government.In April 2010, the Department was broken up and most functions absorbed by Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture...

 designated Ballaugh Curragh as an "Area of Special Scientific Interest

Area of Special Scientific Interest

An Area of Special Scientific Interest or ASSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in Northern Ireland. ASSIs are the equivalent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the rest of the United Kingdom....

". There are three partners involved in the Curragh - Curragh Wildlife Park, Manx National Heritage

Manx National Heritage

Manx National Heritage is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. It was established in 1951 as the Manx National Trust, and its legal title is the Manx Museum and National Trust.-Overview:...

and the Manx Wildlife Trust.

External links

• IOM Guide: Kirk Ballaugh
• Manx National Heritage
• Isle of Man Building Control Districts showing parish boundaries
• Glenology - Manx Glens