Castletown, takes its name from the medieval fortress of Castle Rushen which was once the home of kings and later of government. Castletown was once the capital of the Isle of Man and the government was run from here before moving to Douglas and much of what the island is today was initiated in this historical town.
Tracing its origins back to 1090, Castletown boasts of being one of the oldest towns in the British Isles. Its narrow streets and small fishing cottages prove this ancient past at every corner. Fishing boats continue to fill the harbour, though Castletown saw the end of major commercial traffic to it's port in the 1970's.
The exact age of the old windmill at Castletown, Isle of Man, known as "The Witches Mill," is uncertain; but we know that it was there in 1611, as it is mentioned in a court record of that date. The Mill got its name because the famous Arbory witches who lived close there, and legend has it, that when the old mill was burned out in 1848 and they used the ruins as a dancing-ground, for which, as visitors may see, it was eminently suited; being round inside to accommodate the witches' circle, while the remains of the stone walls screened them from the wind and from prying eyes.
The Nautical Museum in Castletown is small but has a fascinating history featuring smuggling, hidden doors, and a lost boa. It is a small friendly museum which you are guided around whilst being told its story. It opened in 1951, and centres around the 18th century yacht Peggy. Built in 1789, it was the love of George Quayle, a lively and inventive man, whose family of Bridge House and Crogga, were prominent living in Castletown which was then capital of the island. The Peggy was named after George Quayle's mother and was launched into Castletown harbour in 1791. From this harbour she saw many years of smuggling and trade. In 1796 she sailed to England and was taken over land to Lake Windermere to participate in the 'Regatta' and returning to the Isle of Man only barely made it back through rough seas. Not long after George Quayle's mother died and he locked the Peggy up in her boathouse for the last time. There she would lie for almost 120 years, until re-discovered in 1935, still in her boat house, over one hundred years after the death of her owner. The museum is based on the nautical history of the Isle of Man and particularly George Quayle, who lead such a life of mystery that no one dared to enter his boathouse or rooms above till the last family member had died.
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