A Tour of Onchan 2
Round The Edges.

This was constructed on land that was formally part of the Hague Farm and was obtained by the Onchan Village Commissioners by compulsory purchase just after the Second World War from L.L. Corkill.

Plans were prepared by W.T. Quayle the architect for the layout of a public park together with a mixture of private and public housing around the periphery.

Work commenced on 10th November 1948 when four men set to work with spades and picks to level hedges and fill ditches.

The task was at last finished, including building the island’s only stadium with banked cycle track and was formally opened by the chairman of the commissioners J.A.C.K.Nivison JP MHK on 19th June 1951.

Later that day World Cycling Champion Reg Harris christened the cycle track.

Jack Nivison who officially opened Onchan Park and Stadium in June 1951 was invited back forty years later to lay the foundation stone for a new aviary adjoining the children’s play area.

Other photographs of Onchan Park are available in “Onchan Pleasure Park History Photo Album”.

Larger Image

Imperial Terrace in its early days when the roads were still roughly formed although the pavements were concreted.

The property nearest the camera, was part of Imperial Terrace but had its door on the side and therefore was actually No1 Belgravia Road.

This represents the edge of the Howstrake Estate where it met the land of the Hague Farm.

The original idea for the layout of the land by the Douglas Bay Estate Company was to provide a mixture of plots suitable for detached, semi-detached and terraced houses.

Frank Forrest, a builder from Douglas speculated when he purchased the plot for £780 and commenced building in 1898.

Three houses were built that year and the remaining four during the following year. These houses were intended to be holiday accommodation and had an unrivalled position overlooking Douglas Bay.

Unfortunately Frank Forrest was caught up in the aftermath following the crash of Dumbell’s Bank and the houses had to be sold by W.H. Walker the liquidator.