Discover Onchan: Glens, Reservoirs and Railway

Onchan is a destination for travellers looking to combine nature, coast and local stories. Three National Glens meet within Onchan at Whitebridge. Groudle Glen contains a small natural gorge and a large pool in a coastal bay: Lonely Valley, known in Manx as Lhen Coan. A path leads to the Groudle Glen Railway and the coast, offering sea views. The landscape and railway thus represent two distinctive sides of the area.

Nature Trails and Protected Areas

The Clypse and Kerrowdhoo Reservoirs are also in Onchan. In the reservoir area, three marked nature trails—the Reservoir Trail, the Groudle River Trial and the Upland Trail—wind through an environment rich in flora and fauna. Ruins of former farmsteads can be found along the paths. Here, nature meets traces of earlier agricultural use.

Onchan Wetlands is a publicly accessible protected area of approximately one acre. It has a boardwalk suitable for wheelchair users. According to the operator’s current visitor information, Curragh Kiondroghad is accessible to wheelchair users and people with pushchairs. If the boardwalk is essential to your visit, check its current condition in advance.

Groudle Glen and the Railway

The Groudle Glen Railway runs from Lonely Valley to the headland and along the coast. It operates steam, diesel and electric locomotives, including the original 1896 locomotive “Sea Lion”. The miniature railway, which opened in 1896, is now called the Groudle Glen Railway. Its original route ran from Lonely Valley around the headland to the Sea Lion Rocks.

The railway offers a close-up look at different types of locomotive, as well as a history connected with the names Lonely Valley and Sea Lion Rocks. For families, details like these can make good conversation starters: the landscape, the route and the engines each tell a different story about this part of Onchan.

Local Stories and Special Places

Place names tell stories too. Molly Quirk’s Glen takes its name from an unsubstantiated legend that Molly Quirk was supposedly robbed and murdered there.

Behind St Anthony’s Church is a Lourdes grotto. It contains a piece of stone from the site of the Lourdes grotto in France and was formerly used for outdoor services. Another historical detail concerns Onchan Park: in December 2013, the park was registered as a Dark Sky Discovery Site. This describes the status in December 2013, not its current status.

Onchan as a Place to Stay

When choosing a holiday rental, your preferred experiences may be the deciding factor: do you want nature trails, the coast and the railway to be the main focus, or are you also interested in local history and legends? You can then match your preferred location within Onchan to your travel plans. Port Jack Glen is in the lower part of Onchan. One entrance is at the end of Royal Avenue, and the other is behind the shops in Port Jack.

If you’re travelling with children, the landscape, railway and local stories can appeal to different interests. Curragh Kiondroghad and Onchan Wetlands also provide specific guidance for visitors who need wheelchair or pushchair access; bear in mind the relevant access information and the condition of the boardwalk.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: St Johns, Laxey, Port Erin, Andreas, Ballasalla, Douglas.

Back to the main travel guide: Isle of Man.