Tynwald Hill & Culture Vannin

The Isle of Man's Government has sat, unbroken, for over a millennium*.

It's the longest-running continuous government in the world. And here, at Tynwald Hill in the village of St Johns, is its true home. Since 1417, the Island's Midsummer Courts have been held here and ordinary citizens are allowed to present petitions for redress of grievance to the great and good of the Island. It's said that Tynwald Hill is made of earth from each of the 17 parishes, which must have been something of a job.

St John's is a quiet village, but there's an excellent restaurant there (Green's - need we mention that their cakes are superb?), and it's where you'll find the wonderful folks at Culture Vannin. They're dedicated to supporting and furthering Manx culture in all its forms. Their office features several information boards and a shop stocked with books, DVDs, CDs and many other treats as well as a frankly brilliant (and very big) Lego model of the Tynwald Day ceremony**.

While you're in St John's, a visit to the Arboretum is a must. It's a glorious, peaceful space away from the world where you can simply take some time for yourself, stroll around and maybe feed the ducks. Lovely.

*probably
**although impressive, we're not able to fully guarantee the accuracy of the model, as we're not entirely sure that Albas Dumbledore - or any other wizard - has ever actually been to Tynwald

Photo courtesy of Mark Cleator

Access

Tynwald Hill is an ancient outdoor site, so wheelchair accessibility is variable. There is parking in the village and in the carpark of the Tynwald Hill pub. There are public toilets in the village.

Contact Details

Location

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Admission