Isle of Man 2014

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martinjdover
Posts: 103
Joined: September 28th, 2014, 8:57 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset

Isle of Man 2014

Post: # 1288Post martinjdover
October 2nd, 2014, 11:11 pm

Travels in our Defender 130 Demountable Camper 2014 – the Isle of Man


We set off for a leisurely drive up to Heysham in Lancashire to pick up the ferry to Douglas on the Isle of Man – Jan had never been to the island and I was last there back in 1983 for the motorcycle TT races.
We overnighted in the beautiful Wye Valley near Monmouth before moving on again to Heysham, wild camping at the ferry terminal ready for the morning ferry to Douglas.

Wye Valley wild camp

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Our first night on the island was spent wild camping south of Douglas on Dreswick Point near a lighthouse owned by Jeremy Clarkson – apparently he doesn’t spend much time there as he dislikes the fact that there is an established right of way adjacent to the property which he has tried, and failed, to extinguish.

Dreswick Point wild camp

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We stopped in Douglas for lunch and took the electric tram to Laxey, home of the largest working water wheel in the world which used to pump water from lead mine workings and can generate 200 horse power. Whilst Jan took Anya for a walk around Laxey I returned to Douglas on the tram to pick up the truck. We spent the next few nights wild camping in some lovely locations around the island and in the brilliant weather all was well with the world. At various times our vehicle was the furthest north, west, south and east camper on the island.

Point of Ayre

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Peel Harbour wild camp


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In the southwest of the island are most of the filming locations for one of our favourite movies “Waking Ned”. We found Ned’s cottage in the coastal hamlet of Nairbyl and the village used as “Tullymore” which in reality is historic Cregneash. I also tried to drive a green lane but we were thwarted by a four foot wide gate. Most of the BOATS on the island (and certainly the good ones) have unfortunately been TRO’d with a 0.5 tonne weight restriction and are referred to as Green Ways. To stop larger vehicles they have been gated to only allow quads and motorbikes through. The BOAT I was trying to drive wasn’t listed as a Green Way but access onto it was still restricted – to be honest it also looked too much of a challenge for the camper anyway with washed out deep ruts and a very steep loose assent.

Fleshwick Bay wild camp

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Sulby Reservoir wild camp


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Our last full day on the island was spent taking me down memory lane. I had last gone to the top of the highest mountain on the island, Snaefell, on my trials bike in 1983. This time I walked up with Anya whilst Jan went up on the mountain railway tram and then all three of us walked back down. The section of highway between Ramsey and Douglas that goes “over the mountain” has no speed limit on it and is a mecca for motorcyclists who come from all over the world to “drive the mountain TT course”. Some take it easy but many others really give it the gun (and unfortunately sometimes come to grief). As we walked down it was to the soundtrack of high powered motor cycles attacking the course, and probably scaring some of the car drivers using the road half to death.

Laxey Wheel

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We then went back to Laxey so that I could do a proper visit to the Laxey Wheel and associated mine workings. Then it was time to find a suitable wild camp for the night before we went back to the TT course and the Creg ny Baa pub for dinner. As we sat having dinner my eyes kept being drawn to the window and the hill up to Kate’s Cottage. This length of the TT course brought back some scary memories from my trip to the Isle of Man back in 1983. I was doing a hot-lap of the TT course on my trials bike and I had knocked it into neutral to descend the mountain so that I could exceed the bike’s 64mph top speed. Creg ny Baa is a really famous 90 right hand bend at the bottom of the hill and the fastest racers have to slow from over 180mph to 50 to make the corner. I reckon I was doing between 75 and 80 (the speedo only went up to 70) as I tried to scrub off enough speed to knock it back into gear. Trials bikes only have very small brakes and the suspension is not set up for high speed and so I got into a tank slapper which could so easily have been disastrous. How I slowed enough to make the turn and didn’t end up in the bales I will never know but I continued on to finish the lap at an average speed of just under 60mph – flat out for 37 miles, the madness of youth!

Next morning I was up at 5:30, leaving Jan in the cab-over bed, to drive the three miles to the ferry terminal in Douglas for the continuation of our three week holiday. Next stop was Belfast and our two week road trip round Northern and Southern Ireland.
Last edited by martinjdover on October 9th, 2014, 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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zildjian
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Posts: 22051
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Isle of Man 2014

Post: # 1295Post zildjian
October 3rd, 2014, 12:28 pm

Good report, like that.

We discussed having a thread like this on day one and for those interested If you'd like to again send me your images
(in chronological order please) I'll add them directly to you posts between the text if you wish,




I reckon they'd look great
(bit like a blog)

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zildjian
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Posts: 22051
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Isle of Man 2014

Post: # 1418Post zildjian
October 10th, 2014, 9:59 am

done & done :D

martinjdover
Posts: 103
Joined: September 28th, 2014, 8:57 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset

Re: Isle of Man 2014

Post: # 1432Post martinjdover
October 10th, 2014, 9:08 pm

Brilliant.

I reckon we've cracked the technique - thanks :D

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