Over two years since bold plans for the Nautical Museum in Castletown, an MHK is asking what progress has been made.
In the summer of 2023 Manx National Heritage unveiled its amazing plans for the museum, but since then it’s all been a bit quiet.
The revamp of the museum, which was priced at £6.13m, included a new boat hall where the Peggy (more on her later) would be housed.
In a written question to Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston, Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse has asked what plans there are to update the Nautical Museum; and have initial plans for the redevelopment been amended?
Funding
In its most recent update to its website about the plans, MNH said it “had secured pledges for almost a third of the overall costs” and was seeking sponsorship.
However, it also revealed that its bid for funds from the Economic Strategy Board, made last year, was unsuccessful.
MNH’s website says: “The costs include long overdue investment in the buildings on the site to conserve and redisplay the existing registered historic buildings and Quayle’s dock, together with the design, construction and development of a new boathouse for the Peggy and a brand new interactive exhibition throughout the site.’
Peggy
The famous boat, Peggy, is the “last intact surviving shallop and the oldest surviving schooner in the world”.
Dating from the late 18th century, she was bought for politician George Quayle and was uncovered, after more than a century in a walled-up cellar in the building in 1935.
In 2015, Peggy was removed from her Castletown home in order to protect her from “decay caused by high humidity and to protect her from damage caused by tidal flooding”.
Since then, she has undergone significant examinations and is kept in a climate controlled space, but Mr Moorhouse’s dream of seeing her return to Castletown after what will soon be more than 10 years, remains somewhat unsure.
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