Highcliff

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Historic Jersey buildings


Highcliff, St John


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Property name

Highcliff

Other names

  • Maison du Becquet [1]
  • Carric Manor
  • Granite Cottage

Location

Rue de La Mare des Pres, St John

Type of property

Farm group with buildings of varying ages

Valuations

  • Highcliff sold for £3.9 million in 2017, together with the garden (Le Jardin de Devant) to the south of the house; the west part of the field Le Jardin du Menage or Le Jardin de Derriere; the east part of Le Jardin de Menage; and another piece of land to the south
  • Maison du Becquet sold for £900,000 in 2015 and £1.4 million the following year
  • Granite Cottage sold for £505,000 in 2013 and £650,000 in 2015
  • Highcliff was on offer for £10 million in 2023

Families associated with the property

Datestones

This stone has not been deciphered. [2]









The rear of Granite Cottage
  • 17 HC♥IE 09 - On Maison du Becquet. For Helier Chevalier and Jeanne Esnouf, who married in St Lawrence in 1703, but whose children were baptised in St John in 1716, 1718 and 1722. Their son Charles Samuel was one of the earliest boys to be given two forenames in Jersey when he was baptised in 1718. There is no baptism record for Helier and we have been unable to place him in any of our family trees
  • JLB 1833 - On Maison du Becquet for Jean Le Brun

Historic Environment Record entry

Listed building

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This is a historic farmstead with likely origins in the 15th century, and major phases of alterations in 17th century and 19th century. The farm group was extensively renovated in the late 20th century but retains historic character and some features.

The earlier farmhouse now known as Maison du Becquet was superseded by the Georgian mansion to the east in the 19th century, and then downgraded for use as a farm outbuilding. The house and farm buildings became ruinous and were refurbished in the late 20th century and converted to a new house, including amalgamating the main house with adjoining outbuilding range and adding an extension to the third residential unit, Granite Cottage.

Highcliff is a notable example of a well-proportioned mid-19th century Georgian-style farmhouse which retains its external historic character and principal setting. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795. There could have been a round arch at the roadside entrance as fragments are seen built into various structures.

The two-storey, five-bay, Maison du Becquet forms the east side of a courtyard. An adjoining two-storey range of converted outbuildings forms the north side of the yard. Forming the west side of the yard is a two-storey detached building, now Granite Cottage, of group value with the farmstead.

The mid-19th century house, Highcliff, is a fine example of rural Jersey Georgian architecture with a good classical porch. It retains its original in-and-out drive and carriage sweep, which is increasingly rare. [3]

Two-storey, five-bay house with attic, with flanking single-storey two-bay wings.

Old Jersey Houses

The main house here is a fine example of Jersey Georgian, [4] with a good classical porch, and buyilt of warm, rosy granite. In the farmyard is the older house, facing west. There is no evidence of a tourelle; indeed there is scarcely room for one as the house is built close into a high bank.

Notes and references

  1. While it might seem that Highcliff would be the modern name for a house earlier known as Maison du Becquet, it is actually the other way around. This farm complex at Bonne Nuit has been known as Highcliff as long as we have been able to establish. The name was retained for the main Georgian house and an earlier building, which was restored in the late 20th century, was named Maison du Becquet. That name was changed after a sale to Carric Manor, but has now reverted to Maison du Becquet
  2. It appears too clean to be as old as the date shown. Joan Stevens wrote in Old Jersey Houses that the stone read IEG or IEC. It is clearly the latter, but the only Jersey surname matching the initials EC is Ecobichan, and that did not arrive in the island until 1870
  3. Even rarer now, because a 2020 aerial view shows extensive landscaping work being undertaken to the front and rear of the house, including the removal of the circular lawn in the centre of the driveway
  4. The house may have been built in the Georgian style, but not in the Georgian era
Maison du Becquet
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