Nearest Things To Do Rushen
Heading to Rushen and looking for something to do or a place to visit nearby. Coast Radar is not just a list of beaches but we bring you the whole Rushen coast including castles, lighthouses, piers, museums, beautiful gardens, seaside towns, National Trust and other heritage properties.
When on an information page you can also use our tools to search for nearby Rushen seaside towns, and the surrounding coast for the best beaches and places to stay and eat.
Finding the best things to see and do on a Rushen day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the links below, to find the closest hit the jump to my location compass or use the search bar to plan where your next Rushen activity could be.
- Spanish Head is a headland on the southwestern coast of the Isle of Man, rising over 100 m from sea level. You can see the island of the Calf of Man lies which lies to the southwest of the head, separated from it by the Calf Sound. The name is thought to arise from the tale of a ship from the Spanish Armada that was wrecked in the area, though there is no evidence to suggest this. Locals suggest that the name may originate from the Manx name for the type of rock in the area.
- Cregneash is a small village in the extreme south of the Isle of Man, about one mile from Port Erin. Much of the village forms a Living Museum dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Manx ways of life. Annual Manx festivals are held in Cregneash and it is home to a flock of the rare four-horned Loaghtan sheep.
- The Langness Lighthouse was established in 1880 at Dreswick Point on the eastern side. The lighthouse has a white tower 19 metres high and incorporates 77 steps to the top of the tower. Langness Lighthouse image: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Phil Catterall – geograph.org.uk/p/490651
- Port St Mary lifeboat station was established in 1896 and now operates an inshore and all weather lifeboats. Station open weekdays, no shop.
- Port Erin lifeboat station was established in 1884 and now operates an inshore lifeboat. The station is open daily, shop Easter to October.
- Castle Rushen is located in the Isle of Man’s historic capital, Castletown, in the south of the island, and is one of the best examples of a medieval castle in the British Isles. Today, it is run as a museum depicting the history of the Kings and Lords of Mann with most rooms open to the public during the season March to October.
- The Old House of Keys is the former meeting place of the House of Keys, the lower house of Tynwald, the Isle of Man’s parliament. It is located across the street from Castle Rushen in Castletown, the former capital of the Isle of Man, in the south of the island. The building is now a museum and has been restored to its appearance in 1866, which was chosen as it was when the ‘House of Keys Election Bill’ was passed, making the House of Keys an elected body.
- The Calf of Man Nature Reserve and Bird Observatory is maintained by the Manx Museum and National Trust (MMNT), with Wardens resident on the Island from spring to late autumn. The traditional style 1870’s farmhouse incorporating the Observatory is also a hostel that can be pre-booked for up to eight guests. Visitors need to bring their own food supplies and a sleeping bag. The Calf of Man Island is accessed by small boat operators running return trips from Port St Mary and Port Erin. Sailings are subject to suitable weather conditions, tide and the availability of the boatmen. The Calf of Man image: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © David Dixon – geograph.org.uk/p/3891922
- Rushen Abbey was founded in 1134 and is now a heritage centre (part of the ‘Story of Mann’) with a building containing artifacts and telling the history of Rushen Abbey and the surrounding area.
- The Calf of Man and its offshore rocks have four lighthouses. The original (1816/1818) two lights consisted of two circular stone towers with light keepers accommodation with the two towers, 560 feet apart, aligned to indicate a safe course past the dangerous Chicken Rock. The lights were discontinued in 1875 when the Chicken Rock light was established.
