List of Sites of Special Interest
Bulwark Cottage, Le Mont du Boulevard, St. Brelade.
This report has been prepared by Jersey Heritage as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the architectural, historical and archaeological significance of buildings and sites.
The assessment and recommendation are made in accordance with Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; Policy G11 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002; and the published principles of selection for designation as a site of special interest. The report includes the views and advice offered by the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group.
Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC Head of Historic Buildings
Date of report: 1 October 2008
File ref: BR0153
Current status
Registered as pSSI.
Relevant interests of the site (also see schedule)
Historic interest
Bulwark Cottage is of special interest as a substantially surviving 17th century property in the heart of St Aubin. The house appears originally to have been two separate properties that now form an L-plan around a small courtyard - both dating to the 1600s with later alterations.
Architectural interest
The property retains its historic external form and important 17th century internal elements - notably the structural timbers and fireplaces. The main house which fronts Le Mont du Boulevard is constructed of rubble granite with elongated and irregular quoins and granite dressing to openings - the appearance of most window openings indicating that they began as smaller 6-stone openings typical of the 17th century, and later enlarged. There is a different window opening above the front door with chamfered jambs and a re-used accoladed lintel inverted as the sill. The pattern of the window openings to the 4th bay suggests it was a later addition. The doorway has an inscribed lintel PGB RLB 1694 on shield background. All of the external window and door joinery is modern.
The south gable of the house has a raised stone verge, a gable stone with simple 17th century decoration matching the fireplace corbels, and a granite chimneystack with weathering stones. There is a small window at first floor level. The north gable differs with has a pierre-perdu finish and 19th century brick chimneystack. The roof is pantiled with 20th century dormers. Adjoining to the rear of the main house is a smaller 2-bay rubble granite building also dating to the 17th century.
There has been some remodelling of the original interior plan form principally with internal access formed between the two properties, internal partitions removed from the ground floor of the main house, and some modern stud walls introduced at first floor. There is modern flooring throughout. The majority of the 17th century structural timbers - beams and joists - survive, although some are still boxed and there are some new timber replacements in keeping with the original. All other internal joinery - the staircase, interior doors, skirting etc - date to the 20th century and are of no interest. The roof structure also appears to date to the 20th century with regular machine cut timbers and a metal bolted construction.
Four granite corbelled fireplaces dating to the 1600s survive, along with a variety of original niches built into the external walls. The ground floor of the main house has a restored granite fireplace; and a timber fireplace with associated wall panelling and cupboards that reputedly came from St James Church in 1980s (information from current owner). The upper floor retains both granite fireplaces, each with pair of single uprights and corbels decorated with simple horizontal banding. There is a single granite fireplace in the rear building with similarly decorated corbels but the uprights formed of several stones.
Advice offered by MRLAG (and others if stated)
MRLAG discussed Bulwark Cottage at its meeting on 29 September 2008. Members noted the architectural and historical interest as set out in the Jersey Heritage report. 10 members advised that the property should be listed as an SSI given the survival of the 17th century fireplaces and structural timbers; 3 members advised that BLI would be a more appropriate grade given that the other internal historic fabric - such as the staircase and doors - has been replaced.
Jersey Heritage recommendation
Bulwark Cottage should be listed as a Site of Special Interest for its historical and architectural interest.
Justification relating to criteria
The listing of Bulwark Cottage as an SSI is in accordance with the existing criteria for the assessment and designation of historic buildings as follows:
- The special interest of Bulwark Cottage extends substantially to its authentic fabric and interior features;
- Bulwark Cottage is of special interest for its architectural design and use of materials and details in the vernacular tradition;
- Bulwark Cottage is of historic interest as it is illustrative of the social, economic and cultural history of St Aubin and Jersey.
Attachments
SSI schedule and plan
Photographs, September 2008
Board of Trustees
Chairman: Jurat John de Veulle OBE Vice-Chairman: Philip Le Brocq
Rowland Anthony, Geoffrey Crill, Connétable Simon Crowcroft, Blair Gould, Clive Jones, Deputy Carolyn Labey, Paul Nicolle, Jane Stubbs,
Jonathan Voak
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