Ballawyllin

Ballawyllin is first mentioned in Manx records in the 1770s.  In the mid 1800s it was farmed by the Cannell family, many of whom are buried at St Luke's Church on top of the hill behind the farm.  In more recent years the further fields have gradually been sold off to adjoining farms, leaving the current house and cottage set in five acres with stunning views across the beautiful countryside of the Baldwin Valley.  We have a mix of lawns, orchard, woods and wildflower meadows.  We keep a small flock of hens, three hives of bees (well away from public areas!) and produce our own crop of apples, plums and blackberries with various other vegetables, fruit and herbs being added. See links on the right for more information and photos.

Just behind Ballawyllin is the ancient site of Cronk y Keeill Abban, an original site of the annual outdoor meeting of Tynwald, the Island's parliament, last held there in the late 1400s.  The site is placed at the energetic centre of the Island, on the line between its southernmost and northernmost points, and equidistant between its northern and southwestern extremities, making it the centre of the smallest circle centred on the north-south axis and containing the whole Island.  The noted expert in sacred geometry John Michell devotes a large part of his book, "The Sacred Centre: the Ancient Art of Locating Sanctuaries", to this ancient mystical spot.  Its energies make Ballawyllin a remarkably relaxing and healing location.  You can't help but notice how green and vibrant the landscape is!

The name Baldwin derives from "Boaldyn" which is the Manx name for May Day, on which the Celts celebrated the arrival of Summer - it seems likely that this was marked at the same central site, as other Celtic islands had similar celebrations at their centres.