La Ronce

La Ronce is a charming granite cottage dating from the 17th century. It is now on the Register of Buildings as a Site of Special Interest (SSI) due to its architectural and archaeological importance.

Description

The main building at La Ronce is typical of a small-holding and clearly had no other pretensions. The whole of La Ronce stands on a bed of clay and must have suffered from flooding in bad weather. There is, however, evidence of a system of “french” drains in the earth floor. These were intented to eliminate the problem but the property must nevertheless have been pretty inhospitable during severe rain.

It is quite possible that the occupants of La Ronce would have lived in an "open loft" arrangement with the livestock allowed to roam around the ground floor of the building.

The property was heated by a large open fire. The upper quarters of the building would have been reached by a wooden ladder. La Ronce has an annexe consisting of one room only, complete with its own fire-place and attic space. It was in the annexe that a strange granite structure was discovered. It is thought that this is a “jonquière”, a granite seat where women would sit to gossip while they worked.

The arch contains only seven stones, which is quite unique in Jersey, and stands 5’ 6’’ high, which is low even for the earliest of Jersey arches.

There are no chamfers on the windows and in this it is like l'Amiral in the same parish. A wash-house which now houses the dining room was built on to the east, with a projecting dripstone above the door. Take a look at the substantial granite fireplaces as well as the small alcove/niche in the kitchen, which was used as a seating area.

Outside, a traditional well-head is located in the forecourt and it is believed that it was shared with another property, which may have been La Guillerie. As well as a number of pigsties and goose pens, a large granite lined cess-pit is also to be found behind the current garage.

History

La Ronce (meaning bramble), or La Veille Maison, as it was known, is a 17th Century granite cottage. The date on the keystone of the arch, slightly obscured, could be 1691, although it is likely that the house dates to a much earlier period. We are aware that an André Le Marquand purchased the property in 1624 from André Maugier who had in turn acquired it from André Le Broc. As no transaction appears to exist between Maugier and Le Broc, it must be assumed that the sale occurred prior to 1602, when the registration of contracts became compulsory. This would suggest that the house existed before that time.

The cottage stayed in the Le Marquand family for 150 years. In 1777, La Ronce was under the ownership of François Le Marquand, who purchased two further pieces of land, Le Clos de L’Etocquet on Clos des Rues and part of the field still named Le Clos de la Banque, in order to extend the property. François’ name is one of those whose appears on the “habitans du village de Trodée” who have the right of use of the lavoir and fontaine at Trodée. In May 1793, François leased La Ronce to Jean Le Gresley and his wife, Elizabeth Vaudin, ceded her dower rights to the property and land.

In 1805, La Ronce was the property of Jean Le Gresley Jnr., who had one child, Elizabeth, born in 1806. She married Edouard Hubert, who acquired in 1846 two pieces of land adjacent to Le Clos de la Banque that belonged to his wife. These properties were “La Banque” and “Le Clos de Puits”. Following the death of Edouard Hubert and Elizabeth Le Gresley, their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Jean de Caen, inherits La Ronce. The two other daughters, Marie and Ann, inherit part of Les Pointes.

In 1895, following the death of Elizabeth de Caen, La Ronce became the property of John de Caen. The following year, La Ronce was sold to Frederick Vautier Bailhache, son of Anne Vautier, who owned La Guillerie, a property to the east of La Ronce. On his death, La Ronce was ceded to his sister, Helena Jane, who in turn left the property to her sister, Lydia Ann. Her son, Alfred Powell Slous, next inherited the property, which was then left it to his godson, David Rochfort Luke. It was David Rochfort Luke who sold La Ronce to the National Trust for Jersey in 1987.

Renovation works

La Ronce was extensively restored and refurbished in the 1980s to provide habitable accommodation. Traditional Jersey pantiles have replaced the corrugated iron roof. The original fireplaces, discovered behind the 1920’s style equivalents or concealed behind the panelling, were opened up and gently repaired.

Site Access

The property is located in the Parish of St Ouen, 1 kilometre north-west from the Parish Hall, on La Route De Trodez. The site can be reached via Bus route 8 departing from St Helier. The cottage is currently occupied by a tenant and is therefore usually not open to the general public. However, it is possible to visit the cottage on the Heritage Open Day, usually held in September every year.