Historic Jersey buildings
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Property name
L'Aleval
Other names
- Alva House: Name of property in 19th century census returns
- L'Alva: Name of property in 19th century census returns
- L'Aleval House
- L'Aleval Farm
- Petit Alva: Believed to have been part of L'Aleval in 1941
Location
Route de L'Aleval, St Peter
Type of property
Substantial country property with 17th century or earlier origins, now divided into three separate residences. As with many old Jersey houses, l’Aleval as it stands today was built alongside an earlier dwelling which was then relegated to agricultural use. The earliest parts of the property were probably built in the 15th century. A new house was created in the 1630s, and a later house built in the early 19th century, and altered in the 1960s
Valuations
L'Aleval sold for £1,190,000 in 2001. It is not clear how much of the total property was involved in this sale
Families associated with the property
- Pipon: In 1636 Jean Pipon married Alice de Carteret, daughter of Josué of Trinity. He had had L'Aleval built, or substantially rebuilt, four years earlier
- Le Maistre: On Jean Pipon’s death the property passed to the Le Maistre family through the marriage of his only daughter Suzanne
- Renouf: The house was owned by successive generations of the Renouf family from 1812 until at least 1941. An oak-panelled door, believed to date from the 1630s, was donated to La Société Jersiaise by the house’s then owner, James Edmund Renouf, in 1933. In 1941 James (1889- ), was still living here with his wife Marie Anne, née Le Boutillier (1890- )
- Le Riche: Another 1941 household consisted of Stanley Edward Le Riche (1913- ), his wife Phyllis Helleur Le Riche, née Le Cappelain (1914- ) and their son Vernon Stanley Le Riche (1935- )
Datestones
Historic Environment Record entry
Listed buildings
The HER website is confusing in that it separately lists two properties called L'Aleval, placing one in Rue L'Aleval and the other in Route de L'Aleval. Although current almanac street directories show these two roads separately, this is at odds with what is shown in the almanac map. A closer examination on the ground suggests that the whole complex is adjacent to Route de Petit L'Aleval, though where each of the three supposedly separate roads starts and ends is very difficult to determine. It is not clear from the HER listings whether the 19th century house mentioned in the first listing below is the same as that shown separately on another page in the website, listed further down, but that does not appear to be the case.
L'Aleval, Route de L'Aleval
A property of early origins, displaying fine historic stonework features externally, and retaining some interior features. The buildings are of group value and contribute to the rural setting. The earliest house is considered to originate from the 15th century, with its main development in the 1630s. It displays Jersey’s vernacular tradition in the use of local materials and details. This building is shown on the Richmond Map of 1795.
The later house is early 19th century. The property was greatly altered in the 1960s, but retains notable examples of early stonework features.
A group of two houses at right angles to each other; comprising a southeast-facing building of 15/17th century origins and a southwest-facing early 19th century house (now converted to stables). The 15th/17th century house has a slate roof with dressed stone verges; modern chimney to east gable (gable reconstructed). The front elevation is a high quality example of the Jersey vernacular, in coursed squared granite with moulded gable kneelers; an assortment of chamfered and decorated window surrounds, some with accolade lintels and two on the first floor (right-hand) with roll-moulded detail - one with a rare projecting moulded sill; and a shouldered round arched doorway with chamfers and chamfer stops.
The 19th century house has a slate roof with dressed stone verges (no chimneystacks). The front elevation is in squared granite with dressed stone long-and-short openings. Gable elevation is rendered concrete block wall; this forms part of the rear 1960s extension, including the entire rear wall. The interior interest is restricted to the 15/17th century house only. The interior has been modernised and remodelled in the 20th century but retains some historic stonework features of interest - all of which have been moved but nonetheless have an intrinsic historic interest.
Of particular note are the benetier (repositioned within 1960s western hall/entrance) and the tourelle steps (repositioned within 1960s rear extension). Although reconstructed, with the corbels incorrectly replaced with rough faces inwards, the stone fireplace on the ground floor is also of interest - having 15th century origins with single-piece chamfered jambs with moulded chamfer stops.
Although relocated within a modern spine wall, two door surrounds at ground floor and two at first floor reuse historic interior chamfered stone door surrounds with chamfer stops - limited examples of which survive within Jersey houses.
L'Aleval, Rue de L'Aleval
This mid-19th century house, with side entrance maintains its historic character and some features both internally and externally. Two-storey, with attic and cellar, four bay. Single storey porch to west. 20th century two-storey bay set back to east with single storey projecting south with terrace on roof. Ground floor fireplaces inserted in mid-20th century.
Old Jersey Houses
Joan Stevens wrote in Old Jersey Houses that a gable stone carved with 1632 IP, for Jean Pipon, (its owner then and Constable of St Peter from 1636-44, later Jurat and Lieut-Bailiff), was for a long time believed to be the construction date of the main house. But she continued that there are a number of features, including a bénetier to the right of the entrance door and the appearance of a tourelle, which suggest an earlier date. [1]
The stone may simply record an alteration to the building, such as the raising of the roof, she wrote.
Notes and references
- ↑ A history of the Pipon family by the Rev J A Messervy, published in 1907, and reproduced on this website, indicates that Jean Pipon, the Constable, did commission the construction of the house. His birth predates the St Peter baptism register, but his marriage to Alice de Carteret in 1636, would suggest that 1632 is a likely date for the construction of l'Aleval
