Manx National Heritage (MNH) is making a bid to have two of the island's historic sites placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, a move for which the Isle of Man Council of Ministers has expressed its full support.
The UK has opened up bids for the first time in ten years and MNH now has to meet a June deadline for applications.
The two sites include Tynwald Hill, the oldest continuous parliamentary site in the world, dating back to the 9th century, and the Laxey valley from Snaefell to the sea, an area containing a number of industrial sites.
UNESCO looks for evidence of traditions continuing to be relevant to the present day and for sites to be protected. In Laxey, the Manx Electric Railway, the Snaefell Mountain Railway, Laxey Wheel, Laxey Flour Mill and Laxey Woollen Mill are all still operational. A Conservation Area is in place and the Laxey Wheel is in the care of the island's heritage body, the Manx Museum and National Trust.
If the bid - to be assessed by an independent panel appointed by the UK government - is successful, Tynwald Hill and the Laxey Valley will join a list of 28 UK World Heritage sites such as Blaenavon Industrial Landscape in South Wales, Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire and Stonehenge.
Laxey Wheel, part of the Isle of Man's industrial heritage
