La Preference, St Martin

Historic Jersey buildings La Preference, St Martin In its final days as a children's home, the ground floor completely redesigned Index of all house profiles If you own this property, have ancestors who lived here, or can provide any further information and photographs, please contact us through editorial@jerripedia.org

Converted to a luxury home with large grounds in the 2010s. The facade was restored as it was originally, before changes were made in the days of the children's home, as seen in the picture on the right

Property name

La Preference

Other names

Maison des Carrieres

Location

Grande Route de St Martin

Type of property

19th century Gothic 'villa'. Formerly a children’s home run by the States and prior to that The Vegetarian Home for Children. For just over a year in 1959/60 the property was owned by The National Trust for Jersey.

La Preference bears a striking resemblance to a property on Old St John’s Road called The Mount, known to have been designed by Adolphus Curry. The possibility that he designed this as well is being looked into

Valuations

Sold for £865,000 in 2014 and extensively developed since

A brass plaque from the days when the Badier family lived here. John Billot Badier farmed at the property from 1924 to 1933

Families associated with the property

• Badier: Home to at least three generations of the Badier family until 1933.
• Walden: The children's home originated in a vegetarian guest house at the junction of Rue du Hucquet and Grande Route de St Martin, run by Flora and Sidney Walden.

In 1951 the couple took in three children who had previously been in residential care in Liverpool. The following year the home came under the wing of the UK Vegetarian Society,l although the childrfen were technically viewed as being fostered by Mrs Walden.

In 1954 she had a permit to look after 14 children, although that number was regularly exceeded.

In 1984 the running of the home was taken over by the States Education Committee. At that time there were 20 children living there, together with nine care staff and two domestic staff.

The home closed in October 2012.

Historic Environment Record entry

Listed building

Good example of rural detached mid-19th century Gothic villa, retaining some external features. Run as a children's home from 1953 to 2000s.

Detached, two-storey with attic, three-bay with central tower. Pitched slate roof with large gable on west bay and smaller gable on east bay, elaborate iron crosses set on cruciform plinths at end of each gable above rendered coping, remains of decorative cresting, small lancet windows in gables with hood mouldings.

Set behind large lawn above the junction to south, large rendered gate piers; coursed granite rubble wall on roadside, rendered arched pedestrian doorway, blocked; curving drive around lawn to tower.

Double fronted, central hallway and staircase, west side double pile, east side single pile. Outer hall, deep skirting, Gothic-headed niche with moulded timber frame in east wall, timber double door with overlight to inner hall. Staircase with moulded strings, elegant mahogany handrail and slender turned balusters; painted timber panelling. Two round-headed classical niches in walls flanking half landing, moulded surrounds, round-headed arch to west side leading to attic stairs. Hallway with deep skirting, ceiling rose in acanthus leaf relief pattern.

Old Jersey Houses

Not included

The house before it was extended as a children's home