National Trust finds new storage for island artefacts
COLLECTIONS of the island’s historical treasures will finally be rescued from a damp barn to be kept safe in new custom-built structures under plans unveiled by the National Trust.
Plans to build two new modern storage spaces at Les Caches Farm in Forest were shared with about 45 members as well as charity patron, Lt-Governor Lt General Richard Cripwell, at the trust’s AGM at the farm this week.
Currently the trust’s artefacts, which include clothing, carts, and ornaments dating back hundreds of years, are stored at Le Moulin de Quanteraine in St Peter’s.
However, conditions at the site have become unsuitable for many of the items due to cold and damp conditions.
Trust president Mike Brown was delighted to finally be able to share the plans with members, with the project able to go ahead following the sale of historic house Brockhurst in the Grange for £2.7m. earlier this year.
‘We’ve known about this for at least three years in detail, but until we sold Brockhurst we didn’t want to raise members’ hopes and fail to deliver what we promised,’ he said.
In concept designs presented by architectural firm CCD, two new storage buildings would be constructed on the north-west corner of Les Caches Farm.
One of the buildings would be an 18m by 14m storage barn that would house a range of artefacts, and where items could be sorted and minor repairs made.
The second building would be an open-sided cart shed, which would store some of the trust’s carts.
It would be oak-framed with timber cladding and a pantile roof.
To facilitate the construction of the buildings, two relatively new earth banks situated by the farm’s car park would be removed, with overflow parking along the west side of the site also proposed.
CCD chartered architect Laura Sebire said the next stage of the process would be to submit a pre-application inquiry to planners, with a full application submitted within months.
‘The initial feedback we’ve had from both the planners and those here tonight has been very positive,’ she said.
She added that consultations had taken place with States environmental land manager Andy McCutcheon regarding a biodiversity strategy for the project, as well as tree consultant Phil Collenette about protecting trees on the site boundary.
Regarding the project cost, Mr Brown said that trust council members had a figure of what they would be prepared to spend ‘in our heads’.
‘We believe we have earmarked sufficient, but I don’t want to put a definitive figure on it at the moment,’ he said.
‘I’d prefer to keep that confidential, but we are not going to jeopardise the long-term future.
‘The sale of Brockhurst enables us to do it.’
Members present at the AGM were overwhelmingly supportive of the plans.
Margaret Rayer, who used to be on the trust’s council and has been a member since 1972, thought the project sounded ‘tremendous.’
‘Finally we are getting a storage space fit for the 21st, maybe even 22nd century,’ she said.
‘I was very involved in the maintenance of the domestic costumes and was concerned about what might happen to them as well as the other artefacts.’
‘This space is what the trust’s founders would have wanted.’
Helen Hunter was impressed that so much consideration had been taken into making sure the new buildings fit into their prospective surroundings.
‘I was reassured to hear about the work they are doing to make sure they balance the new with the old,’ she said.
‘It’s definitely what the trust needs.’
