To Give Him a Big Hand

The large green hand that you can see atop the gate pillar is a cast of the hand of Arthur Caley, the Sulby Giant. Caley was born at Sulby in the Isle of Man in 1824 and he died in the USA in 1889.

It is reputed that he was 7ft 11 ins tall and the hand on the gate pillar would be at a level of his own had he held it up there.

He had a very colourful life. He served some time at Barnum and Bailey's Circus. In the USA he was known as Colonel Routh Goshen or Palestine Giant.

Apparently the remains of the cottage in Sulby, where he was born, can still be seen. I will have to go and look for it.

I regret I cannot answer why his hand is on this particular gatepost.