A small hill with a big view!
We were too late for the primroses on Primrose Hill but vivid fuchsia hued foxgloves clung to the declivity below the summit, waved amidst the slate shards and contrasted brilliantly with the blue sky.
Our lock down had been mild but imbued us with an added appreciation for the fresh cool air, carried over the filtering expanses of the oceans to the summit of Cronk Sumark. The climb is short,probably no more than 20 minutes if you can avoid lingering over the ever more expansive views, but it is also steep.
Whizzing around the TT course, it is easy to overlook this somewhat jumbled rough hillock on the slopes above Ginger Hall. From the road a path climbs straight up to a hillside stile, serving as a sharp 5 minute warm up, after which I would strongly advise taking the indirect route, a gentler option which swings around the hillside in a counter clockwise swirl that finally deposits you in a somewhat surprised fashion at the top much more quickly than expected.
The way leads through an old slate quarry then curves round to the rocky western promontory above it. From the deep hues of the sea to the shades of Sulby Glen and onto the rolling uplands that lead towards Snaefell, the view is breathtaking.
A short stroll leads through prickly gorse bushes to the eastern summit: though the hill is only some 250 feet high, it offers an all embracing view over the northern portion of the island. A flatter area shows where the Iron Age Fort once stood; the faint ramparts can vaguely be distinguished on the gentler slopes below.
Some say Cronk Sumark should be translated as Refuge Hill, rather than Primrose Hill. On a late May day as spring unharnessed its lushness on all sides, it indeed felt a refuge from our diseased world.
The direct route home lies on the northern side, a precariously precipitous declination of soft springy grass. Be brave: excavate the remnants of your inner child and toboggan down on your bottom – the sheer exhilaration and gathering speed will leave you with a renewed buoyancy to face the world!
NOTES
Cronk Sumark can be found at these coordinates: 54°19′02.34″N 04°28′24.41″W. There is parking on the Ballamanagh Road about 500 m SW of the Ginger Hall Hotel. The hotel is open for refreshments.
While in the area, check out the Magher Grianagh farmshop on the St Judes Road, just off the TT course on the right, for yummy bread, jams and chutneys, and sacks of Manx potatoes.