Tour of Onchan 1
Straight down the middle.

19 – 25 Governors Road

This terrace was designed and built by the joiner John Cowley who previously had lived with his builder father at The Cottage at the top of Summerhill Road.

The houses were first occupied in 1897, he and his family residing in the one nearest to Government House. It was cleverly designed for it incorporated his builder’s store and first floor joiner’s workshop.

This part of the building just looked like a wing on the side of his house and had sliding sash windows – all very domestic in scale

29 – 47 Governors Road

Next to this is Sunnyside Terrace with its end houses being taller and acting like bookends. Unfortunately when the two Coupe brothers bought the land and laid out the plots Mrs Anna Skillicorn had already bought the first plot and so the balance is thrown out by her cottage on the left hand side.

Sunnyside Terrace was built 1891 – 92 and also extended around the corner into Queens Road with an additional house called Mona Cottage. Number 47 was in 1894 used as a private music academy.

In behind the terrace with their long rear gardens the brothers built a stable with house and yard. Douglas Corporation kept tram horses here at one time. In 1914 the commissioners had considered using the building as a fire station but it wasn’t available. J.T. Skillicorn the builder took it over as a store, office and joiners’ workshop and after roofing over the central stable yard let that area to T.H. Corkill from 1926 to 1934 for his charabanc.

In the winter the stepped back of the chara was unbolted and hoisted up between the roof timbers whilst a flat back was lowered onto the chassis to turn it into a lorry to help earn its keep.

Queens Road

The land upon which Queens Road was laid out as part of the Quarterland of Ballachurry by John Travis, trustee of the estate of S.S. Callow owner of the giant Howstrake Farm.

The entrance to the road was formed when Sunnyside Terrace and Clifton Terrace were built in 1891-92. The first four houses to be built above the rear lanes were complete in 1905, two were built by Henry Quilliam and the other two by Robert Skillicorn who built four more before his death in 1907.

Most of the remaining houses were built by his sons Sam and J.T. Skillicorn over the next few years. The name Queens Road is assumed to have been chosen to compliment Victoria the name of the road which ran parallel on the other side of Sea View.

30 - 34 Governors Road

Although nicknamed Rainbow Village of recent because of their bright colour scheme these cottages were built in the late 1880s by Robert Skillicorn as an extension to four similar cottages to the east which were demolished for road widening 100 years later. Robert Skillicorn built several rows of cottages in Onchan which were modest in size, style and facilities but were intended to be affordable accommodation to be rented by the working people.

On to 49 - 57 Governors Road