Looking down on the cove at Groudle and it is difficult to imagine it was once home to polar bears, sea lions and birds.

But, in typical Victorian fashion, they somehow made it work – although our sensibilities to animal suffering would ensure such a facility would never be allowed these days.

For many years that whole area just north of Groudle beach was something of a desolate area although a great playground for adventurous youths.

Over the last 20 years, however, the success of the revived Groudle railway has led to the creation of a café at the headland which opened in 2003.

Still, it remains difficult to really imagine a zoo in that cover which is surrounded by steep, jagged cliffs. Thankfully, there are images of the Headland Zoo in the archives of the Manx National Heritage and sites like Manx Nostalgia.

The zoo was established in 1893 by Richard Maltby Broadbent who created Groudle Glen and turned the whole area into a tourist hotspot.

A rocky inlet was dammed off to create a pool for sea lions which were imported from California. Unfortunately, of the 11 purchased only six survived the journey to the island.

Cages were also constructed to house polar bears. At various points during the zoo's life there were also brown bear cubs (which for a small fee could be taken for a walk around the cliffs) and an aviary with tropical birds.

The railway was then created to serve the growing number of visitors to the ambitious attraction. It carried 10,000 passengers in the first two months, while the glen was attracting around 100,000 people during the summer season.

The zoo remained popular until the outbreak of the First World War when the attraction closed for the duration. When it reopened in 1920 the polar bears were no longer a feature, but the sea lions survived until the complex closed at the end of the 1939 season. Once the outbreak of the Second World War began that spelt the end for the zoo.

Falling income and ageing equipment lead to closure of the railway in 1967 and the majority of the glen was sold to Onchan Village Commissioners.

The remains of the complex are still visible today. The site was used during the filming of an episode from the first series of the popular television drama Lovejoy in 1986 entitled Friends, Romans & Enemies.

Today there are several images and displays in the nearby visitor centre and tea rooms which illustrate the zoo when it was open.