Manx National Heritage has commenced essential conservation work to Harry Kelly’s Cottage in Cregneash following weather damage.
Recent high winds and heavy rainfall have caused damage to the building’s traditional thatched roof.
As an immediate safety measure, MNH’s maintenance team has placed a tarpaulin securely over the entire roof to protect the rare structure from further deterioration and to safeguard the cottage’s interior.
This temporary solution will remain in place while the extent of the damage is fully assessed and repairs planned.
Harry’s Cottage
Harry Kelly’s Cottage is one of only a handful of traditionally thatched dwellings surviving on the Isle of Man today.
It is particularly significant for retaining the roof structure of straw laid over a base of thinly cut turf, known locally as scraa.
The cottage is designated as an Ancient Monument because of both its architectural rarity and its association with Harry Kelly, a respected native Manx speaker who died in 1935.
Generously donated by the Kelly family to the Manx Museum Trustees, it became the first building in the village to open in 1938, establishing Cregneash as the first Open Air Folk Museum in the British Isles.
Full rethatching of Harry Kelly’s Cottage is scheduled to be completed during Spring 2026, when visitors will have the opportunity to watch skilled craftsmen rethatching the cottage, using traditional methods to restore this nationally important landmark.
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