The east coast of the Isle of Man offers much to the visitor, with many remains of our Victorian heritage on display to the modern visitor. In this blog we explore the area around Groudle glen and Lonan.
Groudle Glen could well make as strong a case for the Island’s most beautiful glen. Stiff competition though there is for that coveted crown, the playful mix of bountiful greenery, the olde-time Railway station allied to hidden gems such as its water wheel’ give it a bustling mix of beauty, intrigue and history.
On this walk you’ll take in everything Groudle has to offer on a 6.5 mile walk, including a mini-nature trail through tree-lined pathways, a spectacular wheel-headed cross and finishing up through the farmlands of Baldrine.
This is the ideal walk if you want to get away from it all. Away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and disappear into a little world of hidden greens, tree-flanked tracks and wild flowers. If you’re looking for refreshments, your best bet is to go before you commence the walk.
Start off at Groudle Glen parking area, where before you walk, you can enjoy the craggy edges of the small but stone-adorned beach. If you have little ones, it’s a treasure trove for seaglass and a great way to wile away the hours as the lapping sea kisses rock and rubble.
You’ll need to cross a footbridge at the end of the parking area and you’ll see steps to go up.
Follow this path, forming part of the famous Manx ‘Raad ny Foillan’. Cross the Groudle Glen railway line and make sure to check there are no trains running that day.
The stunning line that ‘goes uphill to the sea’ is entirely ran by plucky volunteers and hosts plenty of family fun days.
The route now takes you on a winding track, where you’ll walk alongside Sycamore and Ivy, lost to the gentle balm of nature. Soon enough you’ll see a lane and a turning to St Lonan’s Church.
It’s well worth the diversion, this lovely old church, particularly for the wheel-headed cross known as The Lonan Stone. It slants ever so slightly, this old relic to what historians guess could be as old as the 9th century. It is a stunning piece of history with classic Celtic design and you can see other similar crosses in the churchyard too.
After this stop-off head back onto the main path and head left towards farmland before you meet the Manx Electric Railway. Another window into a time departed, the 125 year old trams are still in use and when in season, well worth experiencing. There are few better ways to gaze upon the Manx Eastern coast. An old abandoned pub - formerly the Liverpool Arms - sadly now lies derelict so there’s no time for that pint you’ve been craving. Turn right onto a side road after the old pub and continue up a lane to Harrison Farm. There’s a gorse-lined track which takes you through to Baldrine and then to Clay Head Road.
Farm buildings and emerald green scenery are there for you to walk through, calming arable strolling, ideal on a overcast day. Ballannette Nature Reserve will soon come into your eyeline, with over 120 species of wild flowers, hundreds of trees, shrubs, birds and insects will greet you and keep the walk fascinating.
You can turn back once you get to a lane at the end of the track, heading back to Groudle. Upon the drive home why not head to Port Jack chippie for a taste of the seaside, that aroma reminding you of the proximity to the seaside, after a day walking through more arable land
