It was ironic that having spent our first 90 minutes on a Beachbuddies clean up, that I should inadvertently have littered the beach myself by dropping my car key somewhere!
Despite searching for another half an hour, it refused to be found and I had to be rescued by our brilliant daughter, Lucy who went to our house and retrieved the spare key , then drove to Castletown to give it to us (A scary vision of the future for the poor girl?)
Therefore, the first part of our walk was into Castletown to wait for her. From Derbyhaven to the town, there is an under rated beach and it is very picturesque, if a little longer journey than you'd initially think, especially in wellies!
You pass Hango Hill where Manx rebel, Illiam Dhone was executed (shot not hanged) the Rope Walk and the exterior wall of 'Lorne House,' before you can cross the bridge into the town itself.
There is a new Costa opposite the Castle and behind the 'Glue Pot,' where even if you are not a fan of the chain coffee houses, the view is fabulous on such a sunny day.
Having somehow clung on to my marriage despite aforementioned lack of key, luckily for me, you cannot stay angry and miserable for too long, surrounded by such beauty bathed in sunshine, that's shimmering on the water.
Langness, literally means 'Long Point' and indeed it has a long history, is rich in wildlife and has some incredible geology.
We parked on Derbyhaven Bay, adjacent to the Golf Course which is reputedly the best on the Island. It is currently owned by South African businessman and 100 mile walker, Philip Vermeulen and the 'Road Hole,' featured some years ago in Peter Aliss's book about his favourite 18 holes.
There is a single track road which leads to a bigger public car park by the lighthouse.
Many of the historic sites in the Island now have signs with QR Codes on them. I downloaded the App on to my telephone and used this feature for the first time to learn more about the area.
Its greatest claim to fame and a fact known little outside the Isle of Man is that it staged the first ever Derby horse race, which I am always quick to impress on people who come here from the Epsom area. The Derby family were Lords of Man before the reigning UK Monarchs took the title.
There are many birds, including herons, choughs, oyster catchers and a litany of gulls. There are lots of grey seals and I managed to catch a baby swimming on video, see Welbeck FB page https://www.facebook.com/ and lots more pictures.
The geology is amazing all around the promontory but of particular interest are the Arches which have apparently been formed relatively recently by sea erosion. They have what is known as 'Unconformity,' the lower halves having been formed 480 million years ago while the upper halves were caused by flash flood depositing gravel only 350 million years ago.
Replacing the Herring Tower which is unlit, the lighthouse was built in 1880 after requests from mariners and to this day you can see why, with the jagged, partially hidden rocks around the coastline.
It was formerly the home of erstwhile Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson who was married to Manx lady, Frances Cain who still owns the property.
There was controversy when Clarkson blocked off a popular footpath, so people wouldn't pass immediately by his kitchen window. Happily, the path has been re-opened and the living accommodation is now used as a holiday cottage.
Ms Cain's father Robert was a war hero who was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Carrying along around the footpath, we eventually came to the area where a flock of the famous Manx Loaghtan sheep graze. Unfortunately, there was a recent case of sheep worrying in what is a clearly delineated place.
The golf course is re-joined at the famous 17th hole where players have to tee off across a cove, into which I imagine there are many, many balls!
We passed the sadly dilapidated Golflinks Hotel, on this occasion, we decided that we'd had enough and decided not to go on to St Michael's Isle which is another interesting visit.
A great day out and two sun burnt faces. Well worth exploring if you are in the the Island!
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