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Manx National Heritage

The Great Laxey Wheel

Historic Site·Isle of Man·Manx National Heritage·4.6

£14
Non-member
Free
EH members
4.6
1,347
Hours
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Directions
PricingFree with English Heritage membershipEH memberFree entryNon-member£14
EH members go freeInfo

Free entry for English Heritage members

This place is cared for by Manx National Heritage, the Isle of Man's heritage charity. English Heritage members get free admission to all its heritage attractions from the first year of membership. Show your current membership card at admissions.

  • Free admission applies to the member only, plus children aged 4 and under; other adults and older children pay.
  • Admission charges may apply for some special events.
  • Several sites are seasonal, open from Easter to the end of October.

More information

  • English Heritage: other parts of Britain and overseas
  • Manx National Heritage: our sites
Entry
Non-member prices
Adult£14.00
Student (over 18 with card)£7.00
Pricing details

Standard walk-up price for 2026 without the voluntary £1.50 donation, which is optional and can be declined at the ticket desk. Children aged 16 and under are free (accompanied by an adult). Free for English Heritage members showing a valid card (the named member only, plus children aged 4 and under; accompanying adults pay). Multi-site savings, a 7-day (£35) or 14-day (£40) Holiday Pass and a £45 Annual Pass for Isle of Man residents are sold by MNH. Carers accompanying a disabled visitor enter free. Special events may charge extra.

Student discount on production of a valid student card, without the optional £1.50 donation. Free for English Heritage members showing a valid card (the named member only, plus children aged 4 and under; accompanying adults pay).

ParkingFree parkingFree for all visitors

No charge for anyone.

Parking details

Laxey Wheel Car Park: a public car park on site at the top of Wheel Hill, reached over a cattle grid (pedestrian access at the side). Tarmac surface on a moderate upward incline, no marked disabled bays (MNH Laxey Wheel Access Guide 2026). Visit Isle of Man lists the parking as on site and free with parking areas for disabled visitors; MNH publishes no tariff. One reviewer warns that the single-track road up to the car park has tight blind corners.

Driving pin: the MNH page pin (54.238121, -4.407535), which reverse-geocodes to 40 Mines Road, Laxey, beside the wheel and its car park. The Google listing pin is 30 m away. Satnav IM4 7NL.

Coaches park on Ham and Egg Terrace in the village (two designated areas), a steep 5 to 10 minute walk to the wheel. On foot the wheel is 10 to 15 minutes from the village centre up Wheel Hill, or by glen paths with 28 uneven steps.

Buses 3 and 3A (Douglas to Ramsey) stop in Laxey; Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway to Laxey station, then a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Historic SiteWalking routesDog friendlyCar parkToiletsAccessible toiletShopPicnic areaGreat viewsDogs on leads

About

The Great Laxey Wheel, or Lady Isabella, is the largest working water wheel in the world, designed by Robert Casement and built in 1854 to pump water from the Glen Mooar workings of the Great Laxey Mines. Cared for by Manx National Heritage, Queeyl Vooar Laksey has drawn visitors to Laxey for over 170 years and is midway through a major conservation programme. Climb the spiral steps to the platform above the wheel and feel the rush of water as it turns beneath you, then follow the mines trail and go underground in the old mine adit. Reviewers praise the friendly staff and the views from the top. Tips from visitors: the climb is narrow and steep, so the wheel suits only those steady on their feet, and the car park sits up a single-track hill. Dogs on a lead are welcome on site but not on the wheel or in the mine. The Laxey, Agneash and King Orry's Grave walk passes the entrance.

Check today’s timesSee all times
  • The Great Laxey Wheel09:30 – 16:30last entry 16:00
Opening times may change at short notice.

2026 season Friday 27 March to Sunday 1 November 2026, open daily 9.30am to 4.30pm, last entry 4pm. Closed over the winter; check the MNH website for the 2027 season.

Conservation works to the wheel's rod duct and T-rocker are under way during 2026, following the completed first phase of the conservation programme.

Children aged 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult; the access guide asks for children 12 and under to be accompanied. Some special events carry an additional charge. Drones are not permitted.

Dogs on a lead are welcome on site but not on the wheel or in the mine; a water bowl is available at the entrance kiosk.

Access: level entry through the visitor hub (induction loop, shop, snacks and water). Gravel paths, uneven in places and muddy when wet; wheelchair users may need assistance and motorised scooters are permitted. The wheel is reached by a wooden bridge and two short flights of steps, then 96 steps including a narrow spiral staircase to the top viewing platform; a level gravel route leads under the wheel. The mine adit is about 200 m away up a moderate incline, 20 m long, narrow and not wheelchair accessible; hard hats are provided. Two accessible toilets with baby changing 25 m from the kiosk. Picnic benches and a grassed area.

Dogs: Dogs on a lead are welcome on the site but are not permitted on the wheel or in the mine.

Photo: The Great Laxey Wheel, Lady Isabella, in its white wheel case with the viewing platform above. Frank Schuengel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laxey_Wheel_Isle_of_Man.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.

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Walking routes2 routes
Mines Trail (Great Laxey Wheel site)(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
Walk·Dogs, with restrictions·10m–15m to walk

Inside the ticketed site, from the visitor hub. Gentle walk to the left via 20 country steps past the T-rocker, wheel cistern, machine house and engine house, 10 to 15 minutes on grass and gravel; steeper stepped walk to the right through the Glen Mooar Valley to the Compressor House, about 60 minutes, with benches; steps and paths slippery and muddy when wet. Admission charge or valid card; free on-site parking.

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Checked 2026-10-17

Laxey, Agneash and King Orry's Grave(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
Walk·moderate·Dog access not confirmed·6.4 km distance

Starts at Laxey Station (map ref 433 845), 4 miles, moderate and very steep in places: up Ham and Egg Terrace past the wheel entrance, up the road to Agneash, footpaths past mine workings to Minorca and King Orry's Grave, then down to the harbour and back by Glen Road past the Woollen Mills and the Snaefell Wheel. Parking in the village; Manx Electric Railway to Laxey or Minorca; buses 3, 3A and 13. Free; the wheel and other attractions along the route charge. Toilets at Laxey Station and the promenade.

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Checked 2026-10-17

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