Société Jersiaise - Archaeology Review

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Archaeology Review - Spring 1998

The Architecture Recording Group of the Archaeological Section has drawn plans and elevations of two interesting houses in 1997. The first was a small gate house at the entrance to Cross Farm, St John. The study of this was undertaken as a training exercise, but was interesting in its own right because it was difficult to interpret the meaning of the various structural alterations to an ancient building over many years of use.

Surville Farm exterior

The second set of drawings was a larger undertaking, being of a complex of farm buildings at Surville, Mont à l'Abbé. The property was being sold for restoration and development and we must record here our grateful thanks to Mrs Chamberlayne, the owner, for giving us unlimited access to all the buildings, including the lovely nineteenth century house in which she lived.

The group's efforts were concentrated on the old farmhouse with its handsome tourelle staircase and the extensive ranges of granite outbuildings, all of which had interesting features, giving hints of former usage possibly going back to mediaeval times. Two Le Gallais datestones (one of 1756 and one of 1841) told us when new building work was undertaken.

Possible dolmen capstone at Surville Farm

The tourelle, and the two small rooms to the west of it, show massive stonework which is extraordinary. The small rooms (used most recently as scullery and larger) have ceilings of huge stones reminiscent of dolmen capstones. The builders have had to support these great stones with a strange arrangement of corbelling and an extra thick dividing wall. Another similar ceiling stone exists in a store cupboard under the tourelle staircase. Could it be that there was a dolmen here whose stones were re-used by the Surville builders?

A further interesting feature is that these two small rooms have adjoining chamfered granite door openings leading out of the kitchen. This arrangement is also found at Chestnut Farm,

Mont à l'Abbé, in the part of that house which seems to be of a similar age. Chestnut Farm is another house we hope to investigate further. Sadly, its tourelle has disappeared.

At Surville the first and second floor landings are of stone, as are the steps of the Tourelle. It is clear, however, that the top landing and the roof of both house and tourelle has been rebuilt.

An oddity about the nineteenth century house is that a shield bearing the Paulet family arms appears prominently on the southern facade. As the Le Gallais family had owned the property for many generations, it is a mystery why they should build the Paulet arms into their new house.

The drawings are now complete and copies will be given to the Société Library and the Heritage department of the Planning authority. I am grateful to all those who have helped with the measuring as well as the drawing. They know only too well how much time it all takes.

Mary Gibb