Jersey has an abundance of beautiful houses, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a great many of them, but Signal Cottage is more than a little different to others I’ve seen before. I left my visit to this beautiful quirky cottage wondering how I can raise the funds to put in an offer myself. The owners who were on site to show me around explained the house is only on the market due to a planned relocation to the UK, I honestly don’t know how they’re going to leave it.
Situated on a quiet green lane in St Martin, opposite Rozel Mill, Signal Cottage has been exquisitely restored by the current owners and is steeped in history. When they first moved in to the house in 2007 the property was a far cry from what stands there now. Situated on the top of a hill Signal Cottage garnered its name from its previous function as a signal house. It was occupied by the Jersey Militia, who used the house to sleep in whilst keeping watch for potential invaders making their way over from the nearby French coast. The fireplace which separates the kitchen and dining area would have provided them both heat and somewhere to cook. Now it’s home to handcrafted cupboards which provide both the practicalities of storage but also their own character.
Whichever of the two entrances you decided to use to enter the cottage you’ll be greeted by warm toasty flooring, thanks to the underfloor heating that goes through the whole of the property. You’ll also be captivated by the charm and character in each of the rooms and spaces throughout. Starting with the kitchen, which was lovingly handbuilt by island based Patrick Riou to fit the space perfectly, every cupboard and even the dresser were custom made and the beautiful walnut worktops have been maintained so well that you can’t help but want to cook in this kitchen. It would have been difficult not to install an Aga in this property, but thankfully the owners discovered the Redfyre option within their range, which is fully electric. This means you won’t be overwhelmed by heat come the summer months, but you can still enjoy the beauty of this focal piece in your kitchen, whilst cooking on the induction hob. They’ve cleverly integrated a heating element within the top, which means you still get the comforting heat radiating from the oven, but only when you want it.
Once you’ve dragged yourselves away from the heart of the home you move through to the other original part of the building, the lounge. More of that lovely underfloor heating is complemented in here by the woodburner, housed within a granite fireplace, which I’m assured will keep you warm on the coldest of winter nights. When the redevelopment work was done in 2011 the owners had the foresight to replace all of the roofs and windows within the property, apart from the double doors and windows in here, which were lovingly restored. They also installed a Sonos soundsystem throughout the whole house, which is a huge added bonus for all those who love technology.
Off the lounge is another one of Patrick’s masterpieces, a fantastic sunroom which lives up to it’s name, thanks to the south-west facing position of it and the garden to which the double doors lead out onto. The owners assure me that they rarely leave this room in the summer and who can blame them. The view out on to the mature planted garden makes this a total haven. Even on the winter’s day I paid my visit you could see that this sheltered charming garden will be alive with colour and heady scents come the springtime, thanks to the thoughtful planting by the current owners.
On the ground floor you also have a well sized laundry room and under stair storage. There is also the main house bathroom, complete with a free-standing bath and walk in shower all from Fired Earth and one of the three double bedrooms within the property. This combination of rooms on this floor make it the perfect option for visitors, as it affords them an almost self-contained option away from the main sleeping accommodation upstairs.
Upstairs you have a further two bedrooms, one which is currently used as a home office, although it would make an excellent double bedroom. A further large full Fired Earth bathroom, with another fabulous freestanding bath and walk in shower is shared by the two rooms upstairs. Perhaps slightly less conventionally along the corridor that takes you to the master bedroom you will find it is fully fitted with wardrobes. Which is actually an excellent use of the space and also means that the master bedroom is exactly that, a bedroom. Thanks to the vaulted ceiling, within which are two velux windows, which we’re told make for excellent stargazing opportunities (the current owners have an app on their phone which shows them which stars/planets are above them), they also mean this rooms is incredibly light and spacious. The full length shuttered windows open on to Juliet balconies, out of which if you lean far enough you can see the coast of France (obviously this isn’t recommended, but it is possible).
Not only would you be the owners of an absolutely stunning property in an incredibly peaceful location, but the lane which Signal Cottage is on leads directly down into Rozel Bay. This means all manner of culinary delights, ranging from the Hungry Man to the more formal Chateau Le Chaire, are all within 15 minutes walk from your front door. This really is a delightfully quirky property, which oozes charm, whilst also benefiting from the mod cons you’d expect from a new build and is one that should be added on to your must view list.
Signal Cottage, St Martin
£1,295,000
Wilsons, www.wilsons.je 01534 877977
• Beautifully redeveloped character home
• Beamed ceilings & granite fireplace
• 3 Reception rooms
• 3 Bedrooms & 2 bathrooms
• Private gardens & Al fresco eating terrace
• Garage & parking for 3 cars
• Qualified
