North Barrule
North Barrule (Manx: Baarool Twoaie [bǝˈɾǝuil]; Old Norse: varŏa-fjall)[1] is the second highest peak in the Isle of Man at 565 metres (1,854 ft).[2] From the summit the northern plain of the Isle of Man can be viewed along with the coastlines of Ireland, Cumbria, Wales and Scotland.[3]
| North Barrule | |
|---|---|
| Baarool Twoaie | |
 North Barrule from the east | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 561.4 m (1,842 ft) |
| Coordinates | 54.28°N 4.403°W |
| Geography | |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Crown dependency | Isle of Man |
North Barrule is located at OS grid reference SC442909 and forms the north-eastern end of a ridge. It forms the boundary between the parishes of Lezayre and Maughold.
Climbing North Barrule
The summit of the North Barrule can be attained by a rough hill walk with no need for technical climbing or scrambling, although certain routes to the summit do provide the possibility for either.
According to the Isle of Man community website:[3]
From the Black Hut, the walker must first ascend the peak of Clagh Ouyr, a short climb which should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. From there, it is a moderate walk along the ridge of hills to the summit of North Barrule. For a walker of average fitness, and at a leisurely pace, it should be a walk of approximately 1.5 - 2 hours. The terrain comprises mostly short, tussocky grass and is marshy in places.
From the Hibernia, follow the footpath signs up the tarmac road until it leads off the road and onto a rough track which winds steadily upwards to the left of the summit, between farm fields. Follow the track round for 40-50 minutes until you are facing the south slopes, above the Corrany Valley (it is also possible to make a longer ascent from the valley floor – turn off the A2 at the foot of the steep hill immediately after Dhoon Village; The Corrany is signposted). Begin to climb up through the fields, passing a ruined farmstead called Park Llewellyn on your left. A vertical dry stone wall winds upwards to the right, guiding towards the summit. Follow this until you meet the ridge path from Clagh Ouyr; after this, the path to the summit is clear. This route offers a shorter but more demanding walk.[3]
Aircraft crash
On 23 April 1945, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crashed into the east side of the North Barrule, killing all 31 people on board.[4] This is the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred on Manx soil.
References
- Place Names of The Isle of Man – Da Ny Manninee Dooie Volume Three. Sheading of Ayre (Kirk Andreas, Kirk Bride and Kirk Christ Lezayre) page 305-306 Kirk Christ Lezayre by George Broderick – Tübingen; Niemeyer NE:HST (1997) Manx Place- Name Survey, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tubingen ISBN 3-484-40138-9 (Gesamtwerk) 3-484-40131-1 (Band 3) Druck: Weihert-Druck GmbH Darmstadt Einband: Siegfried Geiger, Ammerbuch. "Barrule, hill feature; Name ct. SC49SW SC44300994"
- Ordnance Survey Landranger map no. 95
- Rough Landing or Fatal Flight - A history of aircraft accidents on, over and around the Isle of Man page 103-105 by Steve Poole Amulree Publications (1999) ISBN 1-901508-03-X, 23 April 1945 B17G Flying Fortress 43-38856 M