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From soldier burglaries to "lobster luncheons", the team at Jersey Heritage have delved into the history of The Priory Inn at Devil’s Hole.
'Your Home, Your Story’ is a series of free talks at Jersey Archive that focuses on individual properties nominated by islanders wanting to know more about their home and the area they live in.
As part of the next talk at Jersey Archive this weekend, Head of Information Management Emily Le Feuvre has shared part of her research on the popular country pub, which used to run alongside a tearoom that was twice targeted by thirsty soldiers in need of a drink...
Pictured: The popular country pub used to run alongside a tea room, which was the target of two burglaries.
The area where The Priory Inn is located is known as La Falaise, also spelt Falaize, with the building itself also once bearing this name.
Other properties in the vicinity share the name, including La Falaize, Falaise House and La Falaize Farm, all on La Grande Rue near Devil’s Hole.
The name translates as ‘a rugged cliff’, which is self-explanatory when you look at the coastline in this area.
In terms of the building that we now know as The Priory Inn, Joan Stevens in her publication ‘Old Jersey Houses’ surmises that its façade dates to the 18th century, but that the tourelle staircase inside indicates there was an earlier house.
The 1795 Richmond Map shows a group of buildings in this area, with an orchard nearby, and a body of water leading down to the sea via a stream.
Pictured: The Priory Inn dates back to the 18th century.
Whilst The Priory Inn provides refreshments to visitors to the area today, in times past it wasn’t the only place to do so, an establishment called The Pavilion was located further down the path towards the Devil’s Hole.
A structure appears to have been present in the area from the late 1880s. A newspaper article from February 1887 described having "luncheon at the Pavillion, an elegant wooden structure of recent erection".
It was run for many years by the Cotillard family, who at one point leased from the Arthur family the property that we now know as The Priory Inn and resided there.
Pictured: Lobster lunches were sold at The Pavillion.
In 1891, a burglary took place involving soldiers of the 1st South Lancashire Regiment, who were stationed at the barracks at Grève de Lecq.
The Honorary Police incident register for St Mary records that at around 15:00 on 8 March, Privates Michael Burns, Edward Norman, Walter Renyard and Alfred Rily broke into what was described as a ‘shed’ situated at Devil’s Hole and belonging to Pierre Cotillard, stealing five or six bottles of ginger beer.
According to newspaper coverage of the incident, the accused were observed by Cotillard’s son using a piece of wood to wedge under the door and gain entry.
Pictured: An honorary police incident register from 1891 shows the burglary by the 1st South Lancashire Regiment.
Once inside, the soldiers drunk the ginger beer and discarded the empty bottles on the floor and counter before returning up the path from Devil’s Hole where they were arrested by Centenier John Arthur, who had been summoned by Cotillard.
One of their commanding officers, Lieutenant Oakley, reported that the prisoners were otherwise all of very good character and that on their return to the barracks, Private Burns had offered to pay for any damage caused.
When taking this into account, and the fact that it was their first appearance before the criminal court, they were sentenced to a fine of 10 shillings each or 24 hours’ imprisonment.
Three and a half years later, the premises were again targeted by soldiers, this time from the 1st Yorkshire Regiment.
On this occasion, Corporal Joseph Samson and Privates William Alford, Joseph Kelly, Thomas Renshaw and Edward Walton were accused of breaking in and stealing bottles of lemonade, drinking them as they walked back toward Grève de Lecq and throwing the empty bottles over the cliff.
Pictured: Honorary police records of the second burglary in 1894.
Again, their commanding officer Captain Handcock attested to the good character of the soldiers. Combined with the fact that there was only one witness – a young boy who had raised the alarm – all five were released without consequence.
In newspapers from the early 1920s, the ‘Devil’s Hole Pavilion’ advertised lobster and cold meat luncheons with teas provided, and that "picnic parties can be catered for at short notice". The proprietor was at that time François Alexandre Cotillard, son of Pierre.
During the latter part of the same decade, a new structure was erected. An entry in St Mary Taverners Register for 1929 shows Cotillard applied for a 2nd Category Licence for what is described as the ‘Devil’s Hole Pavilion Hotel and Tea Rooms’.
At the Parish Assembly to consider the licence request, it was stated that in the previous year the premises had served "no fewer than 8,000 teas". One parishioner recommended it be approved as he thought that "everything should be done to attract the visitor [to Devil’s Hole]".
However, another parishioner, Ernest Le Ruez, was less enthusiastic saying that he was opposed to intoxicating drinks. He asked: “What would happen to a man who had taken too much drink if he went down the Devil’s Hole? He would not be able to get out of it!”
François Cotillard died in 1933 and in February the following year, an advert appeared in the Jersey Evening Post for the sale of the Devil’s Hole Pavilion.
It was purchased in May 1935 by Philip Nicolas Arthur, and adjacent adverts in the newspaper publicised the Arthurs running ‘The Devil’s Hole Pavilion Tea Rooms’ alongside what was described as the ‘Medieval Priory Tea Rooms’ and was in the building we now know as The Priory Inn, which they also owned.
Pictured: Advert in the JEP describing the reopening of both tea rooms
In 1948, Philip Arthur sold what was described as "a certain property in a state of disrepair, formerly known as The Pavilion".
Today, there are two private houses where The Pavilion once stood.
This article only touches on some of the research into the Devil’s Hole area for the 'Your Home, Your Story' (YHYS) series, sponsored by Antony Gibb Historic Buildings Consultants.
If you would like to hear more stories, Jersey Archive is hosting a free talk this Saturday 16 November at 11:00.
To book a place for the talk, call 833300 or email archives@jerseyheritage.org.
The Archive will also be open for general research.
You can also uncover more stories by searching Jersey Archive's online catalogue here.
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