Ward & Lock's descriptive and pictorial guide to the Isle of Man ...

Short Walks from Douglas. 53TO GLEN DARRAGH AND ST. PATRICK'S CHAIRA tolerably good walker will tliorouglily enjoy a ramblestarting from Union Mills, already mentioned, taking theroad past the little Wesleyan Chapel, and ascending the hi 1in front. There is good climbing, but the view from thesummit is superb, and " the pleasure we delight in physicspain." On one side is the vale of Douglas, \nih. mansions,woods, fields, and homesteads ; on the other, Greeba Castleand the viUage of Crosby. Descending the hill. Glen Darragh,the vale of oaks, is reached, but we may now look in vain forthe oaks which gave the name. Passing through a gate, woenter a field in which a part of the old stone circle commonlydescribed as Druidical yet remains. Dr. Gumming, a learnedand industrious local antiquary, is clearly of opinion that theDruids had nothmg whatever to do with these stones, butthat they mark ancient places of burial, and may be eitherBritish or early Scandinavian in origin. ^Rlany of the stonesonce standing here have been removed for building purposes,and the rich earth around taken for manure.A short distance farther, about a mile from the old churchof Marown, is a field named in the Manx language ^faghcry-Chiam(the field of the Lord), near the foot of themountain Slieu Chiarn (the Lord's hill). In this field arefive upright slabs of blue slate, mounted on a platform ofloose stones, and known from time immemorial as St.Patrick's Chair. From this position it is faithfully believedthe saint used to give his blessing to the people. On someof the stones are marks, which archfeologists suppose to beinscriptions ; but if so, they are utterly undecipherable.A little farther on is the Old Church of Marown, wherethere is an ancient carved font, the fragments apparently ofa cross. The churchyard may almost be considered thecampo santo of Man, for it is a fairly well ascertained fact,that three of the early saintly bishops, Conachan, Lenvanus,and Rowney, were interred here. From these canonizedbishops the parishes of Conchan, Lonan, and Marown werenamed.The old church is but a short distance from Crosby railwaystation, and, unless an extension of the ramble is desired,the return to Douglas may be made by train.