Blanc Bois
Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
Blanc Bois
Location
Grande Route de Rozel, St Martin
Type of property
Country house with claimed 15th century origins as tavern
Valuations
No recent transactions
Families associated with the property
- Clements: In 1941 Harold Clements (1902- ) and his wife Mary Agnes, née Saunders (1897- ) were living here
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed building
A north-facing house interpreted by McCormack (2015) as a purpose-built medieval tavern with malting floor, documented in the 1463 Enquête. Shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
The exterior is now rendered with sash windows and brick chimneys. There is an unusual interior arrangement of four bays divided by three beams – all of which have large chamfers in 15th century style and all in situ. McCormack identifies the remains of a spiral stair internally at the south east corner.
The ground floor fireplace is of a chamfered pillared design, with moulded corbels, and shoulder stones not joggled but slanted – indicating an original arch such as the brewhouses at Le Marinel and Grouville Court. The right hand pillar is unaltered but the left hand pillar is degraded and discoloured by intense heat - adjacent to a recessed wall that previously had a curved feature set well back (seen during renovation).
This is interpreted as the site of a former mash tun (copper). A square hole inside the chimney hood providing a vent above this area, linking to the main flue, is further evidence. There is an oven opening at the back of the fireplace.
On the north wall is a flat-headed evier integral to the walling. If the interpretation is correct, this is the only purpose-built tavern of this period so far identified in the Channel Islands.
Old Jersey Houses
Not included in either volume, despite claimed antiquity
