Le Douet, Hautes Croix

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Historic Jersey buildings

Le Douet, St John

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In the 1920s, when owned by the Dorey family, Le Douet was one of the island's main cider-making farms

Property name

Le Douet

Other names

Brook Farm ^[1]
Le Douet Cottage
Clos du Douet

Location

Grande Route de St Jean, Hautes Croix, St John

Type of property

Historic farm group, principally 19th century with likely earlier origins. Divided into six residential units in 1986

Valuations

The main house was sold for £750,000 in 2006 and £1,285,000 in 2008
1 Clos du Douet was sold for £320,000 in 2001 and was sold after being offered for £949,000 in 2020
2 Clos du Douet was sold for £540,000 in 2009
3 Clos du Douet was sold for £812,000 in 2018
4 Clos du Douet was sold for £119,797 in 2001
5 Clos du Douet was sold for £510,000 in 2012
6 Clos du Douet was sold for £315,000 in 2003

Families associated with the property

Nicolle - J Nicolle on the Godfray map of 1849 ^[2]
Dorey - The land registry records the farm was purchased by George Dorey from Sydney Nicolle in 1867 – the property previously under the long-term ownership of the Nicolle family^[3] The farm was inherited by John Dorey in 1901. Census returns from 1871 onwards record the Doreys as farmer/employer with servants at the house. The 1985 land registry entry records that Le Douet was previously called Brook Farm. ^[4]
Romeril
Pinel

Datestones

18 GDR ♥♥ ENC 75 - For George Dorey and Esther Nicolle who married in Trinity in 1859 ^[5]
18 IPN ♥♥ ARR 14 - For Jean Pinel and Anne Romeril who married in St John in 1810

Historic Environment Record entry

Listed building

A significant example of an historic Jersey farm group with strong association with cider-making, a once thriving local industry. The farm is set back from the main road and accessed by a drive at right angles to the road - a distinctive pattern found in many regions of France, especially Normandy.

The various buildings retain their historic character and group value, the principal interventions being the alteration of openings to 1-5 Clos du Douet. The focus of the group is a well-executed 19th century farm house, with a fine granite ashlar façade and 1875 datestone, adjoined to the rear by an earlier granite range with 1814 datestone. There is also a finely-made traditional Jersey lavoir, and an unusually extensive and notable piggery with stone pitched roofs. The further range of 1828 farm buildings situated on the north side was converted to residential in the 1980s.

Farm range dated 1828. Former farm group, consisting of five-bay, two-storey farmhouse (Le Douet) with single storey granite rubble outbuildings adjoining at right angles to the south, with two rows of domed pigsties to the west and a covered lavoir to the east; two-storey block of farm buildings, converted to residential use as Nos 1-6 Clos de Douet, to the north; and long drive to main road.

Old Jersey Houses

A brief entry for this important historic property notes that it was a 'real centre of cider making' when owned by the Dorey family.

'It also has the finest piggery seen anywhere in the island and a finely made lavoir in which blue granite slabs like tables were mounted for scrubbing clothes'.

The fontaine, douet et lavoir was the subject of litigation between 1739 and 1742, when owned by Romerils and neighbours disputed the right to use it.

Notes and references

↑ Although the property was known as Brook Farm in the early part of the 20th century, it was shows as Le Douet in the 19th century censuses and appears to have reverted to its former name
↑ We have not been able to identify this J Nicolle - census returns do not identify any living in St John at this time
↑ George Dorey was a carpenter living in a town house in St Helier in 1861, married to Esther Nicolle. We believe that rather than purchasing Le Douet, it probably passed to him through his wife
↑ Although the property was known as Brook Farm in the early part of the 20th century, it was shows as Le Douet in the 19th century censuses and appears to have reverted to its former name
↑ Despite intensive research we have been unable to tie Esther, with any certainty, to the Nicolle family who owned Le Douet for generations in the 18th and early 19th centuries. She was the daughter of Jean-Pierre Nicolle and Esther Noel, grand-daughter of Jean Nicolle and Elizabeth Le Sueur. There is no record, however, of that Jean living at Le Douet, and being the owner shown on the 1849 Godfray Map - he was a St Lawrence resident