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Bishopscourt (previously known as Ballacurry, in Manx: the farm of McCurry or O'Curry), consists of a Seventeenth Century Mansion House, the St Nicholas (Private Chapel) in the Church of England Diocese of Sodor & Man, and the former estate of Ballachurry or Bishopscourt Manse. Previously the official residence of the Bishop of Sodor and Man, the current Bishopscourt House and estate is now in private ownership.
Bishopscourt is situated north of Kirk Michael on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road and is known as a historic point in the TT races, part of the Snaefell Mountain Course adjacent to the 16th Milestone road-side marker close to the tertiary C19 Orrisdale Loop Road junction. The Bishopscourt Manse and the Bishop's Glen forms the boundary of the parishes of Michael and Ballaugh.
Description
The current residence dates from the Seventeenth Century; the former moated King Orry's Tower and previous timbered residence was rebuilt by Bishop Thomas Wilson from 1698 after finding the 'house in ruins nothing but an sentient tower and chapel remaining entire'. Bishop Wilson rebuilt in the present castellated baronial style which was enlarged by Bishop Claudius Crigan from 1784 onwards. The King Orry's Tower was repaired and restored by Bishop Crigan in preparation 'to reside at Bishopscourt, to repair and even rebuild the ruins of which as all was ruins has cost a very severe expense'. The medieval chapel dating from 1651 adjacent to King Orry's Tower was demolished circa 1815 and replaced by a Georgian Chapel on the same site, subsequently being replaced a Victorian Gothic Chapel of St. Nicholas on a slightly different site by Bishop Horatio Powys. Further renovation occurred after a fire in 1893 destroyed the hall section of Bishopscourt house.