JERSEY HERITAGE TRUST
13 Charles Street, St Helier
This report has been prepared by the Jersey Heritage Trust as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the registration of historic buildings and sites.
The Planning and Environment Department requested in May 2007 that the Jersey Heritage Trust assess the architectural, historical and other interests of 13 Charles Street ahead of discussions with the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group.
Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC Curator of Historic Buildings
Date of report: 15 June 2007
File ref: HE1838
Relevant interests of the site (also see assessment form)
13 Charles Street has architectural and historical interest. Nos.13-15 were built together and available evidence places the construction date in the first half of the 19th century. It is known that Clement Hemery laid out Charles Street in the early 1800s and the Le Gros map clearly shows buildings on the site by 1834. No.13 substantially retains its external historic form and detail, notably timber sash windows with a central grooved detail imitating the appearance of a casement – a feature that is unique to Jersey buildings. There have been some external changes such as alterations to the shopfront and roof but these changes do not nullify its historic character. The historic fabric also supports the construction date, in particular the style of the door-case at No.15 and the sill brackets on both buildings.
No.13 was built as a corner shop and is a characteristic feature of the central residential areas of town. It occupies a prominent position on the corner of Charles Street and Ingouville Lane and makes a positive contribution to the streetscape and historic grain of the town. In addition it has group value with Nos. 15 & 17 Charles Street – both registered as BLIs.
Advice received (MRLAG or others)
The Planning and Environment Department records show that 13 Charles Street was identified as a Building Frontage of Townscape Importance in the 1987 Island Plan.
The Jersey Heritage Trust carried out an external inspection of the site on 30 May 2007 and the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group was shown a PowerPoint presentation of the site at its meeting on 11 June 2007.
MRLAG agreed that the building has architectural, historical and scenic interest and members were unanimous that No.13 merits inclusion on the Historic Buildings Register as a BLI.
JHT recommendation
13 Charles Street has architectural, historical and streetscape interest and merits inclusion on the Historic Buildings Register as a BLI.
Justification relating to criteria
It is proposed that 13 Charles Street satisfies the criteria for registration as a Building of Local Interest as set out in the Interim Policies for the Conservation of Historic Buildings, which states that ‘Buildings included in the Register are those which retain their historic form and detail, and so make a significant and positive contribution to the architectural and historical character and appearance of Jersey’.
It is proposed that 13 Charles Street justifies registration as it satisfies para 5.6 of the selection criteria that states ‘Age is clearly a significant consideration, particularly in relation to historic interest. The older a building is, the fewer examples of its kind are likely to survive, and thus the more likely it is to have historic importance. In Jersey, any building which survives in recognisable form from before the middle of the 19th century will normally be of registerable quality for its historic interest, as well as, normally, meeting at least one of the other principal criteria.’
It is proposed that 13 Charles Street has historic and architectural interest as part of the expansion of the town in the first half of the C19 and substantially retains its historic form and detail, notably windows of a type unique to Jersey. It is proposed that this interest is amplified by the positive contribution No.13 makes to the streetscape – forming the corner of Charles Street and Ingouville Lane - and its group value with Nos.15 & 17 Charles Street.
Attachments
· Location plan
1834 map and 2006 Aerial photograph
Assessment form and photographs, May 2007
Photograph c.1970s