The Groudle Glen Water Wheel unofficially known by the

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

of ''Little Isabella'' is a rustic

water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...

, situated in

Groudle Glen Groudle, or Groudle Glen, a glen on the outskirts of Onchan on the Isle of Man, is formed in a valley leading to the sea at the small port of the same name. It is one of the officially-listed Manx National Glens. Groudle was a remote hamlet boas ...

on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

, that was originally built in 1893 with the arrival of the

Manx Electric Railway The Manx Electric Railway ( Manx: ''Raad Yiarn Lectragh Vannin'') is an electric interurban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle ...

to the glen.Isle of Man Examiner – ''Brialtagh Ellan Vannin'' page 5 THE FAKE FOLKLORE OF 'LITTLE ISABELLA' Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (2020) Tindle Newspaper Group – Newsprint (Knowlsey) Ltd Tuesday 3rd November 2020 ISSN 1358-4383 In its time the wheel has been used for various purposes, including pumping water to the Groudle Hotel (designed by

Baillie Scott Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (23 October 1865 – 10 February 1945) was a British architect and artist. Through his long career, he designed in a variety of styles, including a style derived from the Tudor, an Arts and Crafts style reminisc ...

) and providing power for the

fairy lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom goe ...

that ran through the glen from the entrance to Lhen Coan, the terminus of the

Groudle Glen Railway The Groudle Glen Railway ( Manx: ''Raad Yiarn Glion Ghroudal'') is a narrow gauge railway near Onchan in the Isle of Man, on the boundary of Onchan and Lonan, which is owned and operated by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and oper ...

. Latterly its function has become entirely aesthetic. The wheel house was rebuilt in 1954 when the glen was enjoying something of a

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

as a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

, and rumours abounded at this time that the wheel house was

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. The wheel was featured, in a disguised form with a fictional name of ''Little Isabella,'' in a 1986 episode titled "Friends, Romans and Enemies" of the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

series ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...

'', in a story that led to buried treasure being discovered in one of the paddles. In 1994, the wheel was refurbished by Laxey Towing Co. Ltd. and re-opened to the

fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

music of

Onchan Silver Band Onchan (; glv, Kione Droghad) is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Administratively a district, it has the second largest population of settlements on the island, after Douglas, with wh ...

. The Groudle Glen Water Wheel has operated sporadically in conjunction with train services on the nearby railway, but, following storms in October 2002, it was damaged and has subsequently been a purely static exhibit. In 2020, the wheel house was demolished and rebuilt and reopened in October 2020.

Sources

{{reflist Water wheels in the Isle of Man