Exhibition charts the renovation of a Manx tholtan

It’s not known when the farmhouse and outbuildings date to

A new exhibition at Rushen Heritage Centre will showcase a couple's journey renovating a tholtan on the Sloc in Rushen.

'Rollage ny Twoaie: Renovating a Tholtan' starts today (8 October) and runs until 2 November and focusses on how Katie Newton O’Meara and Mark O'Meara are transforming a ruined farmhouse and two derelict barns into a family home.

Staffan Overgaard from Rushen Heritage Trust, working closely with Katie and Mark, curated the exhibition. 

The tholtan is situated on the right-hand side of the A36 heading towards the Sloc corner at Scard.

It was known as ‘Croit-e-Kirkjufal’ – which roughly translates to ‘Croft at the Church Mountain’ – when the pair bought the property in July 2021.

The site is 600ft above sea level with incredible views stretching from Earystane out towards Castletown and the sea.

Katie said: "It was a beautiful golden evening and we saw the 'for sale' sign. We pulled over, and we both fell in love with the place. 

"With the budget we had we knew we would have to carry out most of the work ourselves. 

"We changed the name to 'Rollage ny Twoaie' which means 'North Star' in Manx Gaelic – it seemed the perfect name for a property gazing out across the south of the Island."

It’s not known when the farmhouse and outbuildings date to but they are marked on the 1840 tithe plan and an original single-storey building may have been built here in the early 18^th century.

The exhibition tells the history of the site and its owners through the years before charting the obstacles Katie and Mark have faced in bringing an abandoned property back to life, from clearing the site – it was overgrown, with fuchsia 12 feet high in places – and bringing utilities to it, to navigating the planning route.

Katie and Mark have learned how to do much of the work themselves supported by family and friends.

Mark said: "With it being a well-known landmark the planning conditions were tight and insisted on the retention of the original buildings which were deemed structurally viable. 

"However the permission was for a two-storey large extension which overwhelmed the original structures and so we applied for a much smaller extension which would suit the site, and our budget, much better.

"We moved into the large barn, which was phase one of the project, in August this year. 

"We are now working towards phase two which is connecting the house and rear barn to the larger barn and making them all into one four-bedroom property."

Staffan added: "It’s a fascinating story both of the site’s rich history, and the incredible journey that Katie and Mark have been on over the last few years, which we are sure will intrigue visitors to the heritage centre. 

"We would like to thank them for sharing their dream project with us."

It marks the centre's final exhibition of the season before it closes for the winter on 2 November.

However the centre will continue to open on certain days each week as a ‘warm space’ between November and the end of February as it has for the last three years. 

Heritage centre volunteers hold art, craft and poetry sessions, and it also acts as a drop-in space for anyone wanting some company and a cuppa.