Old Kirk Braddan is a wonderful church with its box pews, gallery, three decker pulpit and Decalogue and is one of the best Georgian interiors of any church in the UK. Walls are whitewashed with rows of hat pegs. On the floor are old tomb slabs. Lighting was originally by oil lamp. Now there are a few small spotlights. Light streams in through the large plain glass windows. With the dark stained woodwork it is very much a ‘black and white’ church.
At the back is a large gallery. A door leads into the vestry beneath the tower. The black cast iron plate is a wall safe, installed in 1817 after a burglary when nearly 40/- collected for the poor was stolen.
The nave is still dominated by the three decker pulpit. The parish clerk sat at the bottom. The vicar lead prayers and read Bible from second level and preached hell fire and damnation top level.
Pews are small box pews apart from the larger gentry’s pew to left of altar
The chancel is tiny reflecting the difference in importance between preaching and the sacrament. The altar is not the original and was given to the church in 1836. On either side of east window are boards with Ten Commandments (Decalogue), Lord’s Prayer and the creed.
At back of north wall is one of the few surviving wall fonts on the Island, although it is not known if this is the original position.
The church also contains one of the best displays of early christian crosses on the island dating from 600- the C13th (see separate review).
It is definitely worth visiting.
