A Tour of Onchan 2
Round The Edges.

Strathallan Cliff from an old photograph showing the seaward side of the house. The bay window on this elevation was rebuilt after it was left to Liverpool Corporation but it took on a much simpler form.

On the lawn side there was a large curved bay window. A heavy beam was set across the opening where the room and the bay window met.

This resulted in the beam projecting down below the ceiling level by four inches. This was unacceptable to William Henry Cubbin who was to reside in the house.

It was rectified by hacking off the four inches of solid timber in order to have a flat ceiling running through the opening.

The property was let with one of the first tenants being Reverend William Mackenzie and some years later the tenant was General Anderson.

The last of the Cubbin family to reside here was Colby Cubbin and his mother from whence it passed to Liverpool Corporation for use as a summer holiday home for the deprived children of Liverpool under the title of R.A.C. Cubbin Children’s Holiday Home.

The house has been back in private ownership since the late 1980s.

The Laurels before considerable alterations of 1997 which extended the property to the right and moved the front door to an off centre position.

Mr Stokes had started building on his land by August of 1864 for we find him having to go back to Mr Cubbin to have the fifty foot rule removed as he had commenced to build what was described as a tower or round building at the bottom boundary of the plot.

What he had commenced to build was in fact a camera obscura, possibly the first on the island. His house would appear to have been built at the same time and was a simple but substantial box like design – far from how the house has been extended during the period 1980 –85 and in 1997.

The property took on a commercial role for the large undeveloped plot became The Victoria Gardens where amusements and entertainments were available to the masses.