Two of the Isle of Man's most distinctive properties have gone on the market in recent days, with one carrying an £8 million price tag and the other featuring an award-winning private woodland.

Both properties are being marketed by Chrystals Estate Agents and have attracted attention for their history, scale and unique features.

The most expensive is Kirby Park, a Grade II registered country mansion on the outskirts of Douglas which dates back to 1813.

Set within more than 48 acres of parkland, the estate has been listed for £8 million and is being offered for sale for the first time in almost 200 years.

The mansion was built by Colonel Mark Wilks, who later became Governor of the island of St Helena during the period Napoleon Bonaparte was held there in exile following the Battle of Waterloo.

According to the sales details, construction began after Colonel Wilks returned to the Isle of Man in 1813 but was interrupted when he was recalled to St Helena before resuming on his return in 1816.

The property includes 10 bedrooms, five bathrooms, six reception rooms, a coach house, entrance lodge, extensive cellars and a double garage. Its grounds also feature pasture, water meadows and the River Dhoo, offering double-bank trout fishing.

Meanwhile, another unusual property has appeared on the market near Laxey.

Ballalheannagh Gardens, located off the Creg Ny Baa Back Road in Lonan, is on sale for £895,000.

The former garden nursery sits within approximately 20.6 acres of woodland and gardens and includes a five-bedroom lodge-style house that is in need of renovation.

Perhaps its best-known claim to fame is its gardens, which were voted Britain's fifth favourite garden to visit in a 2000 Daily Telegraph readers' poll.

The site includes mature woodland, walking trails, a small waterfall and former farm buildings, while the property has its own private water supply via a dam and private drainage system.

The listing describes it as ‘a most unusual, exciting and quite unique opportunity’ with significant potential for redevelopment, subject to any necessary permissions.

The two properties represent very different opportunities for prospective buyers, but both stand out in the island's property market because of their historical significance, extensive grounds and distinctive features.

You can view both of the properties at www.chrystals.co.im/latest-properties.

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