[From List of Manx Antiquities, 1930]

KIRK BRIDE.

Pre-Christian Remains.

1. Tumulus at w. end of Lough Cranstal. Pottery and Flints. (O.S. III/6)

2. Ballacree. On the slope above Ballakesh house and at a distance from it of about m.; and 400 yds. N.W. of the Kimmeragh (near a minor Trigonometrical station) is a slight mound of rough ground, called the Landmark, which the tenant has always been forbidden to plough. Possibly this may be the site of a Burial. (O.S. III/10)

3. Cronk Bouyr, Ballakesh, a mile and 300 yds. N.W. of the Church. Tumulus, 25 ft. diam. by 6 ft. high, opened in 1928, disclosing two graves built of stones in courses, now empty and a Cist of stones on edge, with a capstone, containing incinerated bones. O.S. III/6.

4. Urn found at Glentruan. About 717 yards w. of Church. O.S. III/6

5. Site of Tumulus, E. Kimmeragh, about 600 yds. s.w. of house. Levelled in 1866. Cist with Bronze Axe, M. 803. (O.S. III/10)

6. Cronk y Vowlan. Site of Tumulus seven furlongs s.s.w. of Church. Referred to by Feltham (1798) as ‘a high mound surrounded by stones,’ Mx. Soc. vi, 152. Opened in 1866, now ploughed over. Cist, Urn, Flints; Bronze axe, M. 805. Granite boulders from it were broken and built into the Church Tower. O.S. III/10

7. A fragment of Cinerary Urn was taken by Canon Harrison from the brooghs near Shellag, Dec. 1893. M. (O.S. III/11)

8. Kionlough. Tumulus 600 yds. N.E. of house and 850 ft. w. of the edge of the broogh. This was made conspicuous by a large white quartz boulder on the top 36 ft. by 42 ft. diam. and 6 ft. high. Opened by boys in 1928. Burnt stones and fragments of Pottery. O.S. III/14

9. Remains of Tumulus, Glascoe. Incorporated in hedge, W. side of the highroad, about 100 yds. s. of the Smithy. O.S. III/14

A large erratic Boulder of Felspathic sandstone or grit, set up on end in field E. of highroad and 400 yds. from Cronk y Vowlan. This may mark the site of a Burial place. (OS. III/10)

Settlement.

At the N.W. end of Logh Cranstal, a small Flint Axe-head, with many scrapers, flakes, chips and cores have been found; also a small piece of slate marked with rows of dots. M. (O.S. 111/6)

Keeills or Chapels.

These are described, with Plans and illustrations, in the Third Report of the Arch. Survey, 1911.

1. Site of Chapel in the Faie Cabbalagh, 100 yds. N.W. of house, Ballamooar, Treen of Cranstall. (O.S III/3)

2. Site of Keeill in ‘Chapel field’, Port Cranstal, Treen of Cranstall, III. At the E. side of entrance to the road leading to the Lighthouse. (O.S. III/3)

3. Site of Ch. on Ballawhannell, Treen of Glendowne, 100 yds. S. of house. Ploughed over and no trace now visible. Mr. Kneen mentions a boulder known as Clagh y veilley, i.e. stone of the bowl or basin, which (p. 560) he suggests may have been a Font. O.S. 111/6

4. The Parish Church of S. Bridget is close to a 12th c. building which itself was certainly on an ancient site. The cruciform slab, 58, and some Scandinavian pieces were found here. O.S. 111/6

5. Foundations of Ch. with B.G., the Faaie Riillick, Ballavarkish, Treen of Ballavaranagh. When excavating the buried ruins in 1912, an inscribed cross-slab, 7th c., was found broken on the floor. M. 52. (O.S. III/11)

6. Foundations of Ch., Cabbal ny cooilley on Ballacarmain, Treen of Crosby-beg. About 666 yds. W.S.W. of highroad and 500 yds. N. of house, O.S. III/10

Fair Grounds.

S. Bride’s Fair at Kirk Bride on the Green, which was then much larger. 1 Feb. (Feltham 1797, p. 60).

At Ballavarkish was a Fair ‘up to 1834,’ (J.J.K. p. 558), 25 April (6 May). This was sometimes held in a field on Lambhill, near Dem ny merriu.

Sacred or Healing Wells.

1. Chibbyr Vreeshey at s.w. end of Logh Cranstal. O.S. III/6

2. Chibbyr Feeney in the Lheaney feeney, Ballacree. (O.S. III/6)

3. Chibbyr y Varkish, Ballacottier, 50 yds. N.W. of Keeill. Now filled up but formerly visited 'during service’ as a cure for sore eyes. (O.S. III/11)

4. Dem ny merriu. Pool on Lambhill, by the old Funeral road from Shellag to Parish Church. A halt was called here and the corpse sprinkled with water from the pool. (O.S.III/10)

5. Chibbyr Pharick by Logh Pharick. (0 S. 111/14).

Watch and Ward.

Hill for the Day Watch ‘Blew hill,’ suggesting as the original name, Cronk Gorm, and Mr. Kneen tells us the old name was Cronk ny Arrey Laa, i.e. Hill of the Day Watch. The Night Watch was at Port Cranstal. J.J.K., p. 561.

Loose Relics.

Small flint axe-head, 632, with Scrapers, flakes and pottery, Logh Cranstal. M. Unworn chips on shingle about m. N. of Ballagenny and of Kiondam. G.W.L.

Polished stone axe-head, Glentruan. M.

Bronze axe-heads, 803, 805, 795. M.

Quern, Glentruan. M.

Architectural. Two-light window cut in one piece out of a sandstone boulder, Ballavarkish Keeill. M.

Stone lamp from the old Church, M. Corbels at the Church.

Small Adam and Eve slab, 147, a 12th c. piece from a wall of the old building, set over the door of the Parish Church.

Cross-slabs in the Shelter against the N. wall of the Church porch, 58, 118, 124. The inscribed Ballavarkish slab of 7th or 8th c. is in the Museum, 52.

A Sundial on the Church Tower is of stone, 1824; vertical square.

A large early Font in the Church, formerly used as the base of a recent one, now in the Cross-shelter at the Porch. This is a round bowl of sandstone, 2 ft. outer diam. by 12 in. high, in the porch; it has a lug on one side with carving of a man’s face.