[From Land of Britain, part 44, 1941]

I. EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION

THE Land Utilisation Survey of the Isle of Man was undertaken in April, 1932 by the Director of Education, Mr. F. R. Grundey, B.Sc., F.C.S., the actual organisation being placed in the able hands of Mr. Percy E. Humphreys, Secretary of the Manx Geographical Society and Geography Master at the Douglas High School for Boys. Mr. Humphreys was immediately faced with some special difficulties-the six-inch maps have not been revised since the survey was made over 6o years ago and consequently were very out of date in many areas. However, great interest was displayed in the work by many sections of the Manx community, special help being received from Mr. A. W. Coysh of the Grammar School, Ramsay, Mr. W. Cubbon, Secretary of the Manx Museum and Mr. W. Holt of Liverpool, with the result that Mr. Humphreys reported the whole complete in March 1933- In view of the unflagging energy and skill with which Mr. Humphreys carried out the work, it is unfortunate that it proved impossible to face the heavy expense of publishing the one-inch map.

In January 1939, Mr. Norman Pye, B.A., of the University of Manchester, who has a life-long knowledge of the island, kindly agreed to our request that he should undertake this report. He traversed the whole island, noting and recording changes since 1933, checking and revising the field sheets. A coloured one-inch map was prepared in manuscript and is reproduced as a coloured plate to the Report on one-quarter the scale. He notes the care and accuracy with which the original survey was carried out. Mr. Pye's task was almost com- plete when war broke out and the Survey immediately acceded to the request of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor to loan the field sheets in connection with the War Agricultural Campaign. The Report and Map thus present a picture of conditions in the island as they were immediately before the war and from which the war effort began.

In writing this Report, Mr. Pye received the cordial help of Dr. Elwyn Davies who pre- pared the section on settlements as well as the historical section and whose collaboration is gratefully acknowledged. The Meteorological Office have kindly read through the section on climate.

L.D.S.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2007