04 June 2010
The Public of Jersey have received States approval to sell the former Harbour Master's house at Gorey.
As a public property, the house sale will be organised by States of Jersey Property Holdings. Independent agent Buckley and Co. have been appointed to administer the sale.
The Minister for Treasury and Resources has agreed that all proceeds from the sale of the house will be deposited into the Jersey Harbours’ trading fund. The funds will go towards paying for restoration work to Gorey Pier, which is due to start in 2012 as outlined in the Annual Business Plan 2010.
Commercial Director for the Port of Jersey, Myra Shacklady said the funds would be invaluable “The pier at Gorey needs some repair and protection work near the jetty and so it is entirely appropriate that we will hopefully be able to fund the work required with the proceeds from the sale of the Harbour Master's House which is in the area. The work will be carried out as part of our comprehensive and intensive maintenance drive to ensure that all our harbour areas around the Island are in good working order. It would not be financially viable or the best use of our resources to continue to keep and maintain the Harbour Master's House.”
The beach at Gorey has been used for loading cargo since at least the Middle Ages. By 1810 a regular oyster fishery had been established in Jersey with Gorey as its principal base, and the States of Jersey rebuilt the decaying pier during 1815-17 to serve around 150 oyster-fishing boats stationed in the port during the season. In the following years, hotels, chandlers and houses were built along the pier when the Crown sold off the land beneath the castle.
The Head of Community Learning at Jersey Heritage, Doug Ford, said “The building known as the Harbour Master's House has had a bit of a chequered past. The present building was probably built in the 1880s or 1890s on the site of an earlier building which had been demolished. It was Park's ship chandlers for a while at the turn of the century so it seems unlikely that the actual Harbour Master ever lived there when Gorey had its own designated Harbour Master between 1816 and 1903. After the Occupation, however, a couple of the Gorey Harbour Masters, who were subordinate to the St Helier Harbour Master, did live there until the role was designated Harbour assistant and then the house was rented to Harbour employees.”
The house will be put out to tender by Buckley and Co. and the closing date for tenders will be 25 June.
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