Onchan (parish) - Parish

Parish

The village of Onchan (formerly known as Kirk Conchan, as it was dedicated to St. Conchan) is situated on a headland to the north of Douglas (of which it is a suburb), and has good views over Douglas Bay. The parish stretches from Windy Corner on the TT course in the north to Port Groudle and the town of Douglas in the south; it is bounded to the west by the River Glass and the East Baldwin Valley, to the east by the parish of Lonan and to the south by the Irish Sea. The main settlement in the parish is the village of Onchan which has the second largest population on the island.

The coastline comprises the northern part of Douglas Bay and the Banks' Howe headland (which is 120 metres (390 ft) high). The highest peak in the parish is Cairn Gerjoil, near Windy Corner, at 445 metres (1,460 ft).

The parish is agricultural in nature and has only one centre of population, Onchan village. Apart from the hilly region in the north west, it is a fertile and well-cultivated district and also contains, along the hillside nearest Douglas, country villas. Onchan also is home to several large reservoirs that form part of the water supply to Douglas and the surrounding villages.

The parish has three national glens - Molly Quirk's Glen, Groudle Glen and Bibaloe Walk, which end at Groudle Beach, where there is holiday accommodation. The Groudle Glen Railway line runs along the coast line from Lhen Coan to the Headland and then on to the terminus at Sea Lion Rocks where passengers can alight and see the remains of the Victorian zoo which until World War II used to house sea lions and polar bears.

As with the other parishes on the island, Onchan can be subdivided into Treens (areas of land bounded by natural formations such as rivers). Onchan contains, according to the 1511 Manorial Roll, the following treens:

• Slekby
• Alia-Begod
• Begod (now Bygoad)
• Byballo (now Bibaloe)
• Hawstrake (now Howstrake)
• Horaldre
• Tremsare
• Tremott
• Douglas