Historically containing the Treen of the Curragh of Kirk Christ Lezayre and the Land of the Monks of Myrosco, the village is situated at the southern edge of the island's northern alluvial plain, immediately north of the island's northern hills, at the point where the Sulby River emerges from those hills. The old part of Sulby village is situated along the A14 Tholt-y-Will Road near its junction with the B9 Claddagh Road. This part of Old Sulby Village has a mill and village green. The main part of the village is situated along the main A3 road between Close-e-Volley and Ginger Hall, centered on its junction with the A14, the location of the church, general stores and post office and an inn. The village has a primary school, a hotel and a large campsite in the river meadow of Sulby Claddagh. The village is dominated by the Sulby River, the Ballamanaugh farm estate, common land of the Claddagh and Cronk Sumark, which includes the remains of an Iron Age fort.
Origin of name
The name Sulby ), or Súla + bý reflects the Scandinavian influence in Isle of Man place-names.
Motor-Sport heritage
Sulby village located on the A3 road including the Sulby Straight and Sulby Bridge was part of the 37.50 Mile Four Inch Course for the RAC Tourist Trophy automobile races held in the Isle of Man between 1908 and 1922. In 1911, the Four Inch Course for automobiles was first used by the Auto-Cycling Union for the Isle of Man TT motor-cycle races. This included the Sulby Straight and the course later became known as the 37.73 mile Isle of Man TT Course which has been used since 1911 for the Isle of Man TT Races and from 1923 for the Manx Grand Prix races. During a practice session for the 2006 Isle of Man TT races, New ZealanderBruce Anstey achieved the unofficial current top speed record of at the end of Sulby straight near the Kella crossroads. This speed value was registered by the on-board data-logging equipment. This unofficial speed record of 206 mph was repeated in 2015 by the TT competitor James Hillier riding the Kawasaki H2R factory concept bike during a demonstration lap, recorded by onboard Strava data-logging equipment.
Sulby Bridge
The notorious hump-backed Sulby Bridge on the A3 road located at the northern end of the Sulby Straight, considered at the time to be the most difficult part of the TT Course for motor-cycle competitors was removed in 1922/23 by the Isle of Man Highway Board and the road widened and road profile improved. The Sulby Bridge was originally built c.1739 as a result of the 1739 Bridges Act to improve access to roads in the Isle of Man. The nearby ‘Five Ton Bridge’ over the Sulby river was built in 1935 on the Sulby Claddagh to replace a ford and footbridge damaged in flooding in September 1930.
