1994 Isle of Man 25th to 26th June Main Meeting
This trip began unpromisingly enough as I rose reluctantly before first light on the shortest night of the year and tried to prepare mentally for the long drive to Heysham and four-hour sea crossing in frisky winds, which landed us in Douglas that evening. Eileen Taylor and I had decided to make the WFS meeting on the Isle of Man the focus of a six-day visit. Disembarkation was rapid and we headed north-east leaving the horse trams and Victorian sea-front of Douglas behind, looking for accommodation. This was not easy to find and we were in Ramsey before coming at last to rest.
On Thursday we explored Ramsey and it was while we were looking at Sea Ferngrass (Catapodium marinum) that Eileen's Collins Pocket Guide tumbled into the harbour. This durable little volume floated face down just out of reach for a full quarter of an hour while we gathered up some helpful locals who were able to recover it. Two days later it was none the worse. We then botanised fruitfully round Maughold Head, finding Smith's Pepperwort (Lepidium heterophyllum) and Fox- and-cubs (Pilosella aurantiaca), and returned to Ramsey on the century-old Manx Electric Railway. After dinner we drove north to Point of Ayre and were pleased to see a vivid field of Corn Marigolds (Chrysanthemum segetum), and to discover the Seaside Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus). Smooth Catsear (Hypochaeris glabra) and Bur Chervil (Anthriscus caucalis) near the lighthouse.
On Friday we visited the Great Wheel at Laxey where Pink Purslane (Claytonia sibirica) grew luxuriantly at the far end of the site. During our drive across the island to the north-west coast, through Peel and southward to Port Soderick, we appreciated the stretches of Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica), Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris), Dame's Violet (Hesperis matronalis) and Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) along the roadsides. On arrival at Hampton Manor our barefoot hostess swept us off on an enthusiastic tour of her huge wild garden and introduced us to the black Manx cat. Here we were pleased to renew acquaintance with George and Cynthia Forster.
On Saturday our enterprising party of six met Dr Larch Garrad, BSBI vice- county recorder for the Isle of Man. Little time was wasted on preliminaries and we were soon being introduced to some of the most interesting Manx plant habitats. These include coastal rocks and beaches, dunes and dune slacks, maritime turf and heath, wetland, peat diggings, shady glens, farmland, mountain heath and slate, railway tracks and industrial sites ranging from mining to aviation. Many are being conserved and managed as nature reserves and wildlife parks. The last WFS meeting on the island was from 18 to 22 July 1962 when five members met, led by David Alien, author of The Flora of the Isle of Man, with Dr Garrad joining the party for some of the excursions (see the account by C.M. Rob in Wild Flower Magazine for September-December 1962). The 1994 group went to three of the most important areas visited by their predecessors but it is notable that plant sightings for the two trips were far from identical; the complete Manx plant list must be impressive.
We started with the Curraghs Wildlife Park near Ballaugh, wetland remaining from an ice-age lake and a site of international importance for the hen harrier. Here we were as impressed as those of 1962 by the thick growth of Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) along the banks lining the drainage ditches, and were delighted with the Marsh Cinquefoil (Potentllla palustris) and Lesser Wintergreen (Pyrola minor). We of 1994 were glad of the new boardwalks which kept our feet dry. In a damp meadow was a flourishing hybrid orchid swarm between Common Spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and Northern Marsh (D. purpurella). Moving on to a nearby cross-roads we saw our second hybrid orchid swarm, here between Common Spotted and Heath Spotted (D. maculata), showing much hybrid vigour. Then to The Lhen for Masterwort (Peucedanum ostruthium), vigorous but not yet flowering. Near the Visitors' Centre at Point of Ayre in a wet dune slack was Water Violet (Hottonia palustris), and when we moved on to the lighthouse Eileen was able to show the party her Bur Chervil. At Ramsey north shore we saw Isle of Man Cabbage (Coincya monensis ssp. monensis) still growing in its first-known location. Heather Wood was very taken with the many clovers nearby, readily identified for us by George. Visibility earlier had been too poor for us to ascend Snaefell to look for the Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea) but the cloud had now lifted so we took the mountain road back to the south and were rewarded by wide clear views over the island.
By Sunday morning the weather had closed in again but we saw some recently discovered Fir Club-moss {Huperzia selago) near Foxdale and trudged damply up a track to see Parsley Fern (Cryptogamma crispa) on a quarry spoil heap at South Barrule. Hoping for better weather we next went to the south-west tip of the island where the Sound Cafe, running greenly on wind and solar energy, gave shelter and good views of the Calf of Man. It was here that a powerful gull stole my lunch pasty out of my very hand. At Langness we were shown Chestnut Rush (Juncus castaneus), Sea Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritimum) and the Purple Milk-vetch ( Astragalus danicus) which grows around the big red foghorn. We then moved to Scarlett NR for Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustre) and Parsley Water Dropwort (Oenanthe lachenalii) before ending the day at the airport cafe. This was also the end of the WFS weekend and we expressed our gratitude to Dr Garrad for conducting us so efficiently around her area and introducing us to so much of interest. Dr Garrad would be pleased to hear from any WFS member visiting the Isle of Man and can be contacted through Manx National Heritage, Douglas, Isle of Man.
On Monday Eileen and I set off again and were able to find Pyrenean Valerian (Valeriana pyrenaica) in Glen Roy with New Zealand Willow-herb (Epilobium brunnescens) close by. But it was disappointing that, after getting into gortex and wellies and scrambling about in wet insect-infested undergrowth by a dark and slippery stream, we were quite unable to find Wilson's Filmy Fern (Hymenophyllum wilsonii), in spite of minutest instructions. The cloud was still low over Snaefell but we drove up to the Bungalow at 400 m to see the highest station below the summit on the Snaefell Mountain Railway. This point is on the TT circuit and we managed to find our way to the Motor-cycle Museum here for coffee. At the level crossing the train driver played Russian roulette with swift-moving traffic in dense mist, helped by the sharp ears of the station-master. The visibility was so poor that we abandoned hope of the Dwarf Willow at the summit and drove off down the beautiful Sulby Glen to follow the west coast towards Port Erin, where we spent the next two nights.
On Tuesday we took a short ride on the Isle of Man Steam Railway before climbing the cliffs behind the Marine Biological Station at Port Erin. Here was a breeding gull colony where the birds, both adult and young, came almost within arm's reach; was it one of these that got away with my lunch the other day? We botanised round the Manx 'Lands End' via the Sound Cafe in lovely weather, creeping carefully round the Chasms at Cregneash. Our last find was the Gladiolus Gladiolus communis on open ground at Port St Mary.
Wednesday saw us off early again to catch the ferry back to the 'adjacent island'. We had seen a great deal; what had we not seen? Unseens, we realised, included Dog's Mercury, White Deadnettle and Cow Parsley. It was a pity that such an interesting area attracted so small a party. The effort of getting there was well justified and we have pleasant recollections of a peaceful and relaxing interlude.
DIANA WILLMENT