Knockaloe Farm Internment Camp, Patrick, Isle of Man. + Knockaloe Centre for WW1 Internment Type:Heritage / Visitor Centre, Patrick Old School Rooms, Patrick Corner, Patrick Village, IM5 3AL Free Entry.
Details
Accessibility:
The Farm site is only open for events at present, but during these times there is usually disability parking.
Brief Description:
Knockaloe Farm is currently owned by the IOM Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and is the site of the Royal Manx Agricultural Show each year. Previously the farm was used as an internment camp for over 20,000 ‘enemy aliens’, including Germans of military age, during the First World War.
"Patrick Old Schoolrooms is a former parochial school built in 1877 for the children of the parish of Patrick in the west of the Isle of Man, now the Centre for WW1 Internment at Knockaloe and Visitor Centre for Knockaloe, Patrick Old Schoolrooms is situated opposite the entrance to Knockaloe Moar Farm, the location of the internment camp for “enemy aliens” of the British Government under its Aliens Restrictions Act of 1914, passed the day after the World War I broke out. The camp opened on 17 November 1914 and, following the sinking of the “Lusitania” in May 1915, Knockaloe Camp was expanded to ultimately hold “nearly 24,000 prisoners in 23 compounds inside barbed wire, with 4,000 old soldiers acting as armed National Guard, and 250 civilians attending to their wants and comforts…..The camp at Knockaloe was three miles in circumference; 695 miles of barbed wire surrounded the compounds” Samuel Norris “Manx Memories and Movements Our App takes Visitors into both the graveyard and onto the site of the camp itself, with QR markers pinpointing positions of interest and interpreting the evidence of the Camp today. Scan each QR code marker to learn about what had been situated at any given point marked, as well as the evidence of the Camp and its inhabitants which can still be seen today. For information on downloading and using the Knockaloe App, please click here."
+ https://www.knockaloe.im/page_340541.html
"Linking the human stories and imagery with the camp location itself in an imaginative and interactive way to engage visitors of all ages. After eight years of incredibly hard work, the Visitor Centre finally opened on 10 May 2019 and helps visitors to visualise the camp, understand what life would have been like within the camp and the village, and understand its impact on the internees and their families, the guards, the villagers, and the Island, as well as providing descendants with assistance in finding out more about their own internee, guard or village family member and add their story to our archive for future generations.
Incredibly the Centre was destined to remain closed in 2020 with the Island’s borders shut as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, those borders anticipated to remain closed for some of 2021, however we reopened anew in 2022 with many more exhibits and developments and had a great year. We had a wonderful 2023 and 2024 with lots of visitors both local and overseas and we shall now look forward to welcoming you all again for our 2025 season.
This has been the culmination of so much work and we are delighted when we were finally able to commence work on the site back in 2017. The construction work by The Village Workshop team (pictured on the video below) involved taking down the crumbling, damp kitchen, toilet and boilerhouse extension at the back of Patrick Old School largely built on the old school wall, and replacing it with a light and bright extension housing the Schoolrooms’ Garden room, toilets and kitchen. Every stone from the old school wall has been reclaimed and rebuilt as the outer wall of the new dry and draft proof extension.
https://www.facebook.com/knockaloeinternmentcampiom/videos/890656477760382/ "
Further Information:
Address:
Knockaloe Farm, Patrick, Isle of Man IM5 3AJ + Knockaloe Centre for WW1 Internment Type:Heritage / Visitor Centre, Patrick Old School Rooms, Patrick Corner, Patrick Village, IM5 3AL
Email:
2025: "The Charity would love to hear stories from descendants of Knockaloe internees or guards. If you are a Knockaloe descendant please contact our research team before visiting on info@knockaloe.im to ensure that advance research can be carried out prior to a visit and that Trustee and lead researcher, Alison Jones, can be there personally to meet you during your visit and find out what is available about your family story.
Please E-mail info@knockaloe.im for further information"
Phone:
None available
Website:
https://www.knockaloe.im/page_346292.html
Opening Hours:
Farm: Currently Government land.
https://www.knockaloe.im/page_340541.html
"The Visitor Centre is open for the 2025 season as follows:to the General Public from May to September every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am - 3pm (last entry 2.30pm), plus Special Events as advertised - see our Your Visit page here
to Descendants - by appointment between May and September subject to availability - see our Your Visit page here. Although the Visitor Centre is closed during the winter period (October to April) when we focus on research and development, the Charity's work continues so please do get in touch on info@knockaloe.im
- to Groups - by advance booking between May and September - see our Group Visits page here
The self-guided interactive tour from the Visitor Centre allows visitors to explore the history in the village and on Knockaloe Farm itself. For information on downloading the Knockaloe App when the Centre is closed, please click here. "
Directions:
Knockaloe Farm is on a private track just West off the A27 at Patrick.
OS SC237822
"The Centre for WW1 Internment is located in on the junction of the A27 and Patrick Road in Patrick Village on the west of the Island. From Peel follow signs to Glen Maye (A27), from St Johns follow signs to Castletown (A3) then signs to Patrick/Glen Maye (A30). For the location on Google Maps please click here
There is a car park directly in front of the Visitor Centre, however, please be cautious as the entrance is quite tight."
Transport:
The Isle of Man has its own public transport system: https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/. For more details you can visit the website or telephone +44 (0)1624 662525.
The buses are all low-floor with ramps available, making them accessible to travellers with a disability.
Amenities:
When the Farm property is used for shows, such as the Royal Manx Agricultural Show, there are many stands and stalls selling food and drink. At other times there are no amenities.There is a car park directly in front of the Visitor Centre, which has toilets
Location
Nearest Venues
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.