There's nothing better than heading to a woodland in the autumn. The warm hues and crunch of leaves underfoot are a joy for the senses. The glen at Tholt-y-Will is a particularly good destination at this time of year, as the River Sulby cuts through the woodland and provides a number of waterfalls to contrast with the shapes and colour of the foliage. Join me as I take a walk around the glen and discover some of this area's history.
Tholt-y-Will glen is a very popular walking destination in the beautiful Sulby valley. The glen is steep in places but affords fantastic views as a result, including multi-tier waterfalls and the sight of Snaefell and surrounding hills. The path can also take you to Sulby Reservoir, if you choose to take that route, so it's a wonderfully varied walk through some stunning scenery.
The car park near the lower entrance to the glen has a picnic area and craft centre nearby. The craft centre building was once used as a stable, according to Hector Duff in his 2003 recount of the history of the area (see 'Time to Remember' by the Manx Heritage Foundation Oral History Project). Mr Duff described the time he spent in the hills around Tholt-y-Will transporting hay up the valley and the precarious nature of doing so with a horse and cart, up such a steep-sided valley. He also recalled how day-trippers would be driven to the top of the Tholt-y-Will Glen in charabancs (small coaches) so they could walk down to the lower glen, eat lunch, and then choose whether to walk back up to their coach or take a horse and trap down to Sulby.
The path up the glen follows a tributary of the River Sulby, which cascades beautifully over the rocky terrain, producing several waterfalls that vary in size and drama. The path crosses the gorge cut by the river at the largest waterfall. The waterfall can be viewed on Google Maps using the isleofman360 photos of the walking route or on this YouTube video by Country Mouse Walks, which takes you on a walking tour of the glen.
The name Tholt-y-Will may have been derived from the Manx Gaelic name Tolta-y-Woaillee, meaning 'the hill of the cattle fold', reflecting the history of the area as a pasturage for livestock. An article on iomtoday.co.im describes how the mediaeval practice of using the area for summer grazing turned into more permanent farming on 'intack' land by the late 17th century, with farmhouses built of the local slate stone and a 'suggane' thatch. Many tholtans (ruined buildings) can be found on the hills as a testament to this era. Crammag was one of the last occupied farms in the Tholt-y-Will area, owned by the Cowley family who can be seen in a wonderful picture in the imuseum archive.
The path beyond the large waterfall takes you into the upper woodland with views down the steep valley. The route follows a circular path back to the lower glen unless you choose to take a route towards the Sulby Reservoir from the top of the glen.
I love finding out more about the areas I walk in and I'll be using these photos of Tholt-y-Will as inspiration for sketches and paintings over the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the blog and social media to see how they've inspired me!
Have a good week!
Emma
All photos credited to Mark Butler
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