Summerhill Glen

Summerhill Glen leads from Victoria Road in Douglas to Summerhill Road in Onchan

Summerhill Glen, in Douglas, has two entrances.  The top entrance is at the top of Victoria Road near the roundabout at Governor's Bridge, and the main entrance, guarded by two cannons, is on Summerhill.

Access is by bus, on foot, horse tram or by car.  No car parking is provided although there is room to park on Victoria Road.

In the 1980's a fairy grotto was created near to the top end of the glen and this is still popular today, with its pretty illuminations, carved wooden animal seats and gnomes.  The glen has a lovely stream running through it, which flows, into large pools of water in the centre of the glen.

Glen Crutchery

Originally Glen Crutchery, this was part of the original quarterland of Glen Crutchery (taken from the name of the glen), which stretched from Palace Terrace to Strathallan Crescent and as far back as Cronk y Berry in Onchan.

The Name

The water from the river had provided energy for the snuff mill which stood at Strathallan Crescent and which burnt to the ground in the late 1700s.  This in turn gave its name to Burnt Mill Hill or Summerhill, as we now know it.  The name Summerhill came from the mansion house at the bottom of Blackberry Lane.

Reservoir

Douglas Waterworks purchased the glen in 1833 with the purpose of using the river to provide water for the first Douglas reservoir. This was still used up to the 1970s, not as drinking water, but to provide water for the washing down of the promenade.  The remains of the reservoir can still be seen.  Tragically it was the scene of a fatal accident in the 1970s, which resulted in the reservoir being filled in.

Development

The glen was developed in 1932-1933 by 187 young men aged between 18 and 22 on a 'work for the workless" scheme.  It was then leased for 99 years from the Government Property Trustees by Douglas Corporation under the supervision of Gardens' Supervisor Mr Eric Coward.  It had been proposed to call it Waterworks Glen but this was rejected in favour of Summerhill Glen.

Summerhill Glen is popular with local schools who often make educational nature trips to it and it has also been host to a motor cycle trials event.