Renowned Isle of Man historian Charles Guard has called on the next administration to invest in the island’s historic sites, describing the condition of one ancient fort as ‘outrageous’.

Mr Guard has renewed his calls for greater investment in the island’s heritage in his latest online video, using a visit to Kerrogarrow Fort, near St Jude’s, to highlight what he believes is a missed opportunity for tourism and local people.

The video, titled Let’s play Find the Fort, sees Mr Guard attempt to locate the historic site before explaining its significance and criticising its lack of interpretation and maintenance.

Kerrogarrow Fort is an earthwork dating from the early 1640s, built during the Civil War as part of the island’s defences against Parliamentary forces.

Mr Guard said the site was ‘one of the most extraordinary pieces of heritage that we have in the landscape on the Isle of Man’, but argued visitors would struggle to understand its importance.

‘You can't see its shape. It's completely overgrown with ferns. It just looks like an abandoned site,’ he said.

‘Frankly, it's outrageous.’

Mr Guard said he had previously visited the fort with friends from Ireland, only to find it heavily overgrown.

He complained about the condition and said a team subsequently came out from Manx National Heritage and cut a path to the fort.

However, he said more needed to be done, including clearer signs and interpretation explaining the site's history.

The historian explained how the fort was connected to the Earl of Derby and Illiam Dhone, including events surrounding the surrender of the fort during the 17th century.

He said historical accounts contained details of a confrontation at the site, including the words spoken during the exchange between those inside and outside the fort.

‘It’s a fantastic piece of history. Not that you’d know any of that if you come here,’ he said.

Mr Guard compared the island’s approach with heritage sites in Ireland and Wales, saying visitors there were often provided with interpretation boards and better-maintained archaeological sites.

He also referenced a travel writer from The Guardian who, he said, had described arriving on the Isle of Man after visiting archaeological sites in Wales and Ireland as being ‘like going back in time to the 1950s’.

Mr Guard said the island’s heritage was part of its ‘unique selling point’, alongside its heritage transport.

He said he did not blame Manx National Heritage for the condition of sites such as Kerrogarrow Fort, arguing the organisation had a large portfolio to manage and had faced funding pressures.

Instead, he questioned whether more funding should be provided through Treasury.

‘I would say that we are shooting ourselves in the foot here,’ he said.

‘I can't believe it's that expensive to do a bit of strimming and to put some signs on these sites and pull it together maybe in a guide and a leaflet, because this is what people want to see when they come here.’

Mr Guard said investment in heritage should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense, arguing it could bring economic benefits through tourism while also giving local people better access to their own history.

He finished the video with a message to the members of the next Tynwald, ahead of Thursday’s General Election.

‘You're going to have all sorts of pressures on you on the finances, but how about wiping the slate clean when it comes to tidying the Isle of Man up and making it look decent, and funding the basics of our heritage properly,’ he said.

‘Don't think of it as a pain or an expense. Think of it as an investment.’

He added: ‘Can you, as the new members of Tynwald, stand up occasionally and say that you're proud of the Isle of Man and that you want this to be right and just tidy the place up and do it on behalf of all of us.’