Cronk ny Merriu, Iron Age promontory fort in Santon, Isle of Man

Cronk ny Merriu is a promontory fort on a headland near Santon on the Isle of Man. The structure consists of earth banks, a deep ditch, and a stone-reinforced rampart that overlooks Port Grenaugh below.

Cronk ny Merriu is an Iron Age promontory fort, probably built around the turn of the era, with a bank and ditch cutting off the headland above Port Grenaugh. From the 8th century Scandinavians reused the site, leaving the foundations of a nearly rectangular building with three doors and a central hearth. Excavation found little domestic activity, so the Norse longhouse served mainly as shelter for crews from nearby forts.

The Manx name Cronk ny Merriu means 'hill of the dead', which led historians to mistake the grass-covered bank for a prehistoric burial place. The Norse longhouse here served as a shelter for crews from nearby forts rather than a residence, and its layout was used to rebuild the House of Manannan museum in Peel.

You can reach the fort by following the coastal footpath that connects several ancient lookout points near Santon. The walk passes through an area with multiple archaeological sites worth exploring.

Excavations uncovered a rectangular building with three doorways and a central hearth that later inspired archaeologists to reconstruct similar structures in exhibits at the House of Manannan museum in Peel.