The Laxey Wheel World's Largest Working Waterwheel

 

The Laxey Wheel is a large waterwheel located in the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man, a tiny island in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. At 72-foot-6-inch (22.1 m) in diameter and 6 feet (1.83 m) in width, it is the largest surviving working wheel of its kind in the world. The wheel was designed by the Victorian engineer, Robert Casement, and built in 1854 to pump water from the waterlogged mineshafts. It was named "Lady Isabella" after the wife of Lieutenant Governor Charles Hope who was the island's governor at that time. The impressive structure found immediate popularity and has remained one of the Island’s most dramatic tourist attractions for over 150 years.














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