Listed building or place reference: TR0235

Historic site reference
Property: Rockmount de Moustiers Gardens
Road name: Jardin D'Olivet
Parish: Trinity
Location: View on map
Grade: Listed Place Grade 1
Category: Designed landscape
Statement of significance: A fine and extensive Picturesque and Sublime landscape around the remains of a unique marine pleasure pavilion, with a variety of Gothick garden buildings. The sophisticated composition is unusually extensive in Jersey with at least three major garden buildings and various walls, massive terraces, gateways and the remains of other structures on a plateau and cliffside. Some connecting paths are lost and the dramatic views obscured by woodland on the surrounding slopes, but the broad design linking the structures in a Picturesque manner is still evident. This landscape is of the highest significance in Jersey.
Context: n/a
External Description: The extensive mid-C19 Picturesque and Sublime landscape for a marine pleasure pavilion, including a group of 1850s C19 Gothic garden pavilions and other ornamental structures set on a terraced cliff. At the heart of the site are the remains of the pavilion (listed separately). This comprises a two-storey Tower of the Winds and a lower wing attached to the north. These survive after the building was damaged during the Occupation and burnt in 1954. A further, taller Gothic tower formerly terminated the wing to the north, with a single storey verandah adjacent. The position of this is shown on plans in the Planning Department files. The taller tower and verandah stood close to the edge of the garden terrace above a steep drop, but both have gone. A service wing to the west is apparently later C20 but may incorporate earlier fabric. The form of the entire building, based on towers and viewing verandahs, with limited residential accommodation, indicates that it was designed as a pleasure pavilion for excursions or short stays rather than as a country house. The pavilion stands in its own terraced lawns at the edge of a cliff and originally had panoramic views of the bay below to the north as shown on photographs of the 1870s. These views are now partly obscured by mature woodland on the originally open slopes below. The pavilion is reached down a curving drive from the south off Chemin d'Olivet. The long drive passes Rockmount Farm below to the west. Near the farm house is a cylindrical building dated 1870 with blind windows. This may have been an eye-catcher from the drive. The drive reaches a pair of large cylindrical rendered gate piers with simple ogee caps. The piers are flanked by brick-crenellated granite rubble screen walls which enclose a service court to the west of the pavilion on the west and south sides. The west, rear side of the pavilion overlooks the service court. A single-storey white-painted granite rubble coach house occupies the north side of the service court, with a hipped west end tiled with fish-scale tiles. Several metres in front of the gateway a cutting turns east off the drive alongside the crenellated service court wall. This was the original approach for visitors to the pavilion (OS,1935) but has been disused for many years. The cutting arrives at a large gate arch set in the south boundary wall. At this point the dramatic sea view, which has been screened by the wall, opens up. This view through the arch is framed by the Gothic pavilion to the west and looks north across the garden lawn plateau past an open, Gothic-arched gazebo to the sea far below, and distant France. The OS 1935 shows that from the arch the drive formerly led north past the east, entrance front of the pavilion to arrive at the taller tower and verandah structure (both gone). These stood at the north edge of the garden terrace overlooking the precipitous drop. A further pair of (repaired) gate piers stand on Les Vieilles Charrieres to the north-west of the house, alongside the earlier Rocher Brulé Guardhouse (listed separately as The Powder Magazine). This seems to have given access to one or more paths up to the house to the south-east, and to the guardhouse, but their course and extent of survival is unclear. A 1962 site plan (Jersey Archive L/A/06/A/132) shows a path from the forecourt gateway leading round the west screen wall to 'the Headland'. This was probably the top end of the path or paths down to the lower gateway. The lower gateway gives access on the west side of the site to substantial terraced paths with granite retaining walls zig-zagging northwards down the lower half of the cliff. One path emerges close to a house called Undercliff (listed separately). This originated as a small Gothic building with a porch on the west side. It has been greatly extended as a guest house. It may have been constructed as a lodge or shelter for visitors to the pavilion when they reached the distant bottom of the cliff via the terraced paths on their way to the shore. The formal pavilion garden lies east of the building. It is focussed on a large level lawn which has been created on a great terrace above the cliff. The terrace is supported by a granite rubble retaining wall to the south and east. The open Gothic-arched gazebo seen from the entrance arch stands at the north edge above the cliff. It stands on a granite rubble basement with blocked loopholes. The structure surrounds 6 sides of a notional 12-sided shape. The arches are rendered above brick columns and, before the woodland matured, each arch would have framed breathtaking dramatic views of the cliff and marine setting beyond. The arches on the south side may have framed views of the various structures on the upper plateau to the south beyond the main archway. The gazebo has a date stone and cartouche with a shield and arms on the south side dated 1856. From here terraced paths lead a short way down the hillside below it and west below the lawn retaining wall. This gazebo is clearly seen in the 1870s Badoux photographs perched precariously at the edge of the cliff. The lawn is enclosed to the south by a terraced plateau which is some 3-4m higher than the lawn and is now woodland. The upper area appears to have been levelled and is retained above the lawn by a high granite wall east of the entrance arch. This upper plateau contains at least three small ornamental structures with the remains of C19 trees among later self-sown trees. It is unclear exactly how this upper level was reached from the pavilion and lawn but it was probably via steps either just beyond the archway by the drive, or a flight at the east end of the lawn ascending the retaining wall. The path network linking the structures on this upper level is lost. There may have been further structures which are as yet unknown. The structures were visible from the lawn, also from upper floors of the pavilion's two towers and from the gazebo framed by the rear (south) arches. At the edge of the retaining wall, just east of the archway, is the base of an enigmatic structure. This is the closest erection to the pavilion on this upper level and would have been prominent from the lawn and pavilion. Its low circular granite plinth retains two triangular brick copings at the entrance on the south-west side. At the centre is the substantial stone socket for a square post of some c.20cm diameter. Surrounding the plinth are four squared granite blocks with rings in the tops, indicating that they may have secured guys from the central post (now lost) supported in the socket. This may have been some kind of seat sheltered by a tent or parasol secured by guy ropes to the surrounding granite blocks. Set back some metres from the edge of this upper level is a single storey cylindrical tower with a Gothic doorway facing north-east. It has three cruciform arrow loops around the walls. The exterior is faced with small conglomerate pieces in rugged style. The openings are formed of limestone and each arrow loop is formed from an entire bock. The tower has a moulded projecting cornice with a bead at the bottom. The interior is rendered in ashlar effect. The roof has gone. North-east of this stands a square-plan Gothic tower. It is positioned at the end of the upper retaining wall, above the south-east corner of the lawn. The exterior is rendered in ashlar effect. It has crenellations and circular corner turrets and is reminiscent of the style of the mid-C19 remodelling of Rozel Manor. The doorway is in the west elevation with a large Gothic window in the north elevation, a smaller window to the east, and the north elevation blank. The square tower is positioned at the edge of the steep slope above the south-east corner of the lawn plateau. Formerly it enjoyed panoramic views of the sea, to France, but these are now partly obscured by woodland. Below the lawn to the north and west the steep cliff is clothed in woodland which contains the remains of ornamental planting including bamboo and rhododendron. It may also contain further terraced paths leading down to the north-west gateway. The designed features may also have occupied what is now the garden of Mont d'Olivet, the modern property immediately west of the drive and forecourt. The 1870s photos indicate paths zig-zagging down this western flank of the cliff. The C19 deeds mention a drive, avenues, a kitchen garden, lodge and water garden / fish pond garden.
Internal Description: n/a
Special interest: Archaeological,Architectural,Historical

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11/05/2021

Schedule Listing schedule LBG1

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