“Up with the hammer Ned”. Those words still echo in the history of Colby River. Today we explore Colby River and its glen. It is a place of wild beauty. Waterfalls cascade through the glen. The Colby River runs through it.
Colby Glen is a small valley north of Colby village. It covers about five acres. Ash beech elm and sycamore trees thrive here. The Colby River carves its path through the glen. Unlike other glens on the Island Colby Glen offers gentle beauty. Springtime transforms the area. Wildflowers like ells and primroses bloom in profusion. Fine examples of trees dot the flat area at the top.
Accessing Colby Glen is easy. You can arrive by car bus or the Isle of Man steam railway. Parking is available on the roadside. A public right of way leads through the glen’s top. It extends to Cronkdooney and Ballakilpheric. Locals call the small pool in the glen “Fairy Pool”.
In 1955 the glen became nationalized. The Forestry Mines and Land Board paid Edward Murray Gawne of Kentraugh just 20 pounds. But before that Colby River was at the center of a public dispute in 1912. The glen was divided into Little Glen and Big Glen. Owners erected gates blocking access. Locals who had used the glens for generations were angry. The entrance to Big Glen was part of an ancient highway. People from Ballakilpheric used it to carry coffins to Arbory Church. Farmers also used the entrances to water their livestock.
The gates were torn down in protest. However they were put back up and padlocked. A public meeting was held. Police Inspector Corkish from Castletown addressed the crowd. Arguments erupted due to legal ambiguities. The crowd marched to the gates at Big Glen. Mr. W.H. Costain a public rights campaigner waited with another crowd. Ned Gale a farmer from Ballakilpherick stood inside the gate with a mallet. Costain demanded the gate be unlocked three times. When refused he shouted “Up with the hammer Ned”.
Ned immediately broke the chain. The gate was removed from its hinges. It was thrown down the glen. The police could not intervene. Both gates were removed and never replaced. The public had won their rights. Today gates in the glen only prevent livestock from straying.
The name Colby has Scandinavian roots. It comes from the Viking words “col” meaning hill and “byr” meaning farm. Colby is also known for its Methodist history. John Wesley preached at Balladoole in 1781. A Methodist preacher arrived in the village in 1822. By 1833 two Methodist chapels stood here.
As you wander along the Colby River imagine the events that have shaped this glen. Picture the determined locals fighting for their rights. Feel the tranquility of this beautiful place. Colby River is more than just a glen. It is a testament to the spirit of the Isle of Man.