Today, our first day in our new home, we did a road walk to Castletown via two parish churches, and caught the bus back. The roads around here are not as quiet as they were in the northern tip, but they're not super-busy either, and there's a footpath almost all the way.

First stop: St Columba's church in the parish of Arbory:



There were a number of interesting things here:






Then on, with the unfailingly pretty views that characterize this Island:



Next stop, St Lupus, Kirk Malew:






Again, it's full of historical interest. Even the name: "The name 'Malew' is derived from either one or two saints, or a combination of the two. The Church is believed to have been originally dedicated to St Lua or Molua, a celtic Saint who also gave his name to Killaloe in Ireland. However, the Roman church is said to have objected strongly to Irish Saints who did not appear on their calendar and from the beginning of the 15th century, the church was dedicated to St Lupus, the 5th century Bishop of Troyes in France."

The exact age of the present church is not known. But it is thought that sections of it date back at least to the 12th century. The nave is the oldest part.

We were reminded of Illiam Dhone when we visited Milntown. His resting place and memorial (by Bryan Kneale) are here:




But wait, there's more:







On again:


Destination Castletown...



Excellent little circuit.