Laxey is a widespread village on the eastern side of the Island. Its name is derived from the Norse word "Laxa" or salmon river, as apparently in early times great catches of salmon were taken from the river there.

Today Laxey is largely a residential area, but during the last century it became a thriving mining village. Today, very little evidence of this is to be seen, the mines have long since closed down, but fortunately there is still preserved in all its glory the famous Laxey Wheel, said by many to be the biggest in the world.

The Laxey Wheel, or Lady Isabella as it is known, was constructed in 1854 by Robert Casement, a native of Laxey and a brilliant engineer. It was designed by him to pump the surplus water from the mines and, by cleverly using the natural fall of the mountain streams as a power source, he produced this widely acclaimed remarkable engineering feat. The wheel has a circumference of 227ft, a diameter of 72 1/2ft and a breadth of 6ft and was capable of raising 250 gallons per minute from a depth of 1200ft. The horizontal pumping rods, supported on wheels running on rails, are carried from the wheel to the mine shaft on a viaduct - a distance of 200yds. This magnificent piece of engineering is still in perfect condition and attracts thousands of people each year, who come to see it working.