__NOTOC__ Glen Helen (formerly () or Lambfell Glen) is one of a series of eighteen

Manx National Glens Manx National Glens is a collective term for a series of glens in the Isle of Man which have been officially designated as tourist attractions. They are maintained by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Isle of Man), Department o ...

owned and maintained by the Forestry Amenity and Lands Directorate of the Isle of Man Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

Location

Glen Helen is located in the Rhenass valley and the glen entrance is situated between the 11th Milestone and 12th Milestone road-side markers on the primary A3 Castletown to

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Companies *Ramsey (retailer), Turkish clothing retailer People * Ramsey (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Ramsey (surname), including a list of people with the surname * Baron de Ramsey, a title i ...

Road between Laurel Bank and Sarah’s Cottage in the parish of Kirk German in the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. The national glen contains two waterfalls and is the confluence of the Lambfell stream,

Blaber River The Blaber River is a minor river in the Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title ...

and the

River Neb The River Neb () is one of the principal rivers on the Isle of Man. It rises in the Michael hills, flows SW through Glen Helen (where it is joined by the Blaber River) to St John's, where it is joined by its principal tributary, the Foxdale ...

at the road-side entrance of the Glen Helen national glen. The area of Glen Helen is part of the southern slopes of Lambfell Mountain.

History

The glen was developed in the 1860s by a consortium of Manx businessmen interested in

arboriculture Arboriculture (, from ) is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their env ...

. They carried out extensive planting of trees and ornamental shrubs, laid paths, constructed river bridges and opened the site to the public in 1867. The attractive name Glen Helen was probably chosen from Greek myth to reflect the beauty of the location. Today a variety of mature and impressive trees including sequoia, thuja, spruces, Douglas fir, oak, sycamore and beech can be seen. Paths traverse the glen along the rivers Neb and Blaber. Three-quarters of a

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

into the glen is the dramatic Rhenass Waterfall. The national glen of an area of 67 acres and associated buildings were purchased by the Isle of Man Forestry, Land and Mines Board in 1958 for a cost of £4,300.

Motor-sport heritage

The Glen Helen section of the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road was part of the

St John's Short Course The St John's Short Course was a road-racing street circuit used for the Isle of Man TT held between 1907 and 1910. The races were run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of ...

used for the Isle of Man TT races between 1907 and 1910. The Glen Helen section of the A3 Castletown to Ramsey was also part of the 37.50 Mile

Four Inch Course The Four Inch Course was a road racing, road-racing circuit first used for the 1908 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (automobiles), 1908 Tourist Trophy Race for cars, held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the I ...

for the RAC Tourist Trophy automobile races held in the Isle of Man between 1908 and 1922. In

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

, the Four Inch Course for automobiles was first used by the Auto-Cycling Union for the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...

motorcycle races. This included the Glen Helen section of Laurel Bank, Black Dub, Sarah’s Cottage and ‘Creg Willey’s Hill’ and the course later became known as the 37.73 mile (60.70 km)

Isle of Man TT Mountain Course The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' or ''Snaefell Mountain Course'' or ''Elmo’s Mountain Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' i ...

which has been used since 1911 for the

Races and from 1923 for the

Manx Grand Prix The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or ' Mountain Circuit') annually, usually at the end of August and early September. Traditionally the event has been staged over a two week period but this was reduce ...

races. ''Isle of Man Examiner – Brialatgh Ellan Vannin'' Page 63 Tuesday 6 August 2019 Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (2019) Newsprint (Knowlsley) Ltd ISSN 1358-4383

Gallery

File:Glen Helen - Isle of Man - geograph.org.uk - 31796.jpg, River Neb with footbridge File:amyjohnson.jpg, A tree at the mouth of the glen planted in 1933 by aviator

Amy Johnson Amy Johnson (born 1 July 1903 – disappeared 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set many long-distance records dur ...

File:Glen Helen - Isle of Man - geograph.org.uk - 31798.jpg, The Rhenass Falls at the top end of the glen Glen Helen Isle of Man.jpg, Racing motorcycle negotiating the entrance to Glen Helen turn, exiting uphill, set deep in the countryside with the entrance to the actual Glen and car park (shared with the closed restaurant) to the right, with many spectators around the outside of the bend File:Geograph 4308770 Glen Helen TT course.JPG, TT race spectators at the exit to Glen Helen in 1969 with two travelling marshals passing by towards Creg Willey's Hill

Sources

External links

Glen Helen – Isle of Man Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
{{Isle of Man Racing Circuits Glens of the Isle of Man Glen Helen