Homelife: An £8.5 million house with views of Rozel Bay

Le Couperon is just one of several properties featured in this month’s Homelife magazine, which is free with Wednesday’s JEP. Back copies can be collected from JEP reception at Five Oaks.

WORK has just been completed on the construction of a large, luxury home at Le Couperon, Rozel, on the site of the former hotel and restaurant.

Existing granite buildings have been retained and have been renovated to provide two units of staff or guest accommodation and a fully equipped gymnasium.

The home is totally private with an electrically gated entrance and includes a landscaped garden with a lawn, space for parking and a large, heated pool.

It also has the benefit of a unique location with stunning views across the bay and direct access on to the beach.

The development has been sympathetically undertaken to preserve the external appearance of the old fort dating to 1809.

The barracks initially built there were capable of holding 68 men as part of General Don’s military building programme, but by 1834, they were described as being empty.

A guidebook dated 1850 stated that the barracks were only occupied by troops in times of war.

During the France-Prussian war in 1876, extra troops were stationed in the Island and so an ablution house, a wash house and a cook house were added.

However, the fort was once more abandoned by the end of the century.

The house has a gymThe entrance gates to Le Couperon

One of three custom-built barracks in the Island, Le Couperon is flanked by the slipways of Le Breque du Sud and Le Breque du Nord.

As breques are a gap in a sea wall or embankment, it may indicate that during the 18th century the whole of Rozel Bay was protected by a sea wall.

Le Couperon was sold by the War Department to a private individual in 1924 and was converted into a hotel during the 1950s when major alterations took place.

To the time of its closure in 2007, it was run by the Barnes family.

They have been responsible for the development of the half-acre site into residential accommodation with Andy and Steve Barnes acting as project managers.

The original design was provided by Mike Waddington of Waddington Architects although the services of Neil Blunden of Archara were used throughout the build. The main contractor was Paddy Lane from Lane Construction and interior design was completed with the help of Bernie Le Sueur who has previous experience of working with high end properties.

Initially it was intended to construct ten homes, but to respect the sensitivity of the area, including neighbouring listed buildings, it was decided to reduce this to just one. The newly constructed home is also lower in height than the hotel that previously stood there, and when viewed from the bay, is largely hidden behind the fort walls.

The development has been a skilful blend of ancient and modern providing over 11,500 square feet of accommodation, all with under-floor heating.

The main house has been constructed with concrete foundations and blockwork. It has a sleek and low contemporary profile with a white, insulated render finish and a large amount of glazing to the first floor to give it a floating appearance. Raynaer composite, double-glazed windows have been used to minimise maintenance and the roof is highly insulated with concealed rainwater downpipes.

The gates open out on to Rozel BayLe Couperon features a cinema room

To take advantage of the views, living space and the master bedroom suite are all on the first floor with sliding doors to a wraparound balcony. This has the shade and shelter of a roof overhang fitted with brises soleil and soffit lighting.

There are four further bedroom suites on the ground floor along with a study, cinema, utility room, wine store, cloakroom, toilet facilities and a huge garage capable of taking eight to ten cars. This also has under-floor heating to keep vehicles, including vintage and classic models, in pristine condition.

The front door leads to a large, stone-tiled foyer with down-lighters along its wall; ideal for illuminating artwork. It also includes a curved stairway with a glass balustrade.

Space is certainly not lacking in this home where every room is generously proportioned including its bedrooms and their individually designed wardrobe and bathroom facilities. This includes variations in tiles and sanitaryware, chosen directly from the latest ranges at the Porcelanosa factory in Spain.

The functional fireplace is shaped like a portholeOne of the bathrooms in the propertyThe property has large windows overlooking the bay

The master suite is particularly impressive served by a walk-in dressing room with built-in storage and a bathroom with a massive shower, an elegant free-standing bath and twin basins. A TV has also been installed in all bedrooms.

While the first floor master bedroom has the best of the views, two of the bedrooms below take in the picture windows of the old restaurant and bar. The fixed glazing has been replaced with an opening window which means at high tide you could be tempted to indulge in a spot of fishing. The ancient walls on this side of the house also have their gun slits preserved and fitted with glazing. One room has additional natural light from walk-on roof lights inset into the balcony while others facing west have windows overlooking the garden. For privacy, the glazing includes wiring for integrated blinds.

Living areas are separated but have easy walk-through access one to another. One section could be used as a snug, bar or dining area while other parts provide a luxurious kitchen and a lounge.

Flooring is a beautiful Dinesen Norwegian pine, similar to that used in the Saatchi gallery in London. Bedrooms are provided with underlay, leaving choice of carpets to new owners.

The kitchen is fitted with high quality cabinets complete with internal drawers and purpose-designed storage. It includes an island with a semi-circular breakfast bar, a second sink with a Quooker tap to provide instant boiling water and a TV which can disappear into the worktop at the press of a button. The kitchen also comes with all the latest Miele appliances including four fridges, two dishwashers, two fan ovens, a combination microwave, a warming drawer, a coffee maker and an induction hob.

Reflecting the marine location, the focal point of the lounge is a functional, porthole fireplace created with over 260 pieces of glass. The room also has a tear-drop feature ceiling with LED mood lighting. Doors lead to the balcony which is an ideal sunny area for sun-bathing and al fresco dining. There is also a spiral staircase down to the pool.

With entertaining in mind, dinner parties can be complemented with a choice of wines selected from the purpose-designed cellar which maintains a temperature of around 15 degrees. For laundry, there is a large ground floor utility room with storage units, a sink and plumbing for appliances. Two Viessman air source heat pumps are also based here while a third serves the pool and the gym. These operate silently.

Project managers Andy and Steve Barnes pictured with main contractor, Paddy Lane (centre), from Lane Construction

There is also an environmentally friendly heat recovery ventilation system and a Lutron lighting system. This can be controlled from an iPad, even while away from the house, along with other features such as gate and garage entry, security cameras and opening and closing of the pool cover.

The home has been designed to provide the ultimate lifestyle with a range of leisure amenities to enjoy including a music system which has been installed throughout the property.

The cinema is a mini version of a commercial facility with tiered seating and all the latest technology. It includes a 13 foot screen, a 4K projection system, accoustic panels and LED lighting. Seating is provided by 12 ultra-comfortable, high quality, leather armchairs sourced from America. These incorporate everything from drinks holders to leg rests.

A Percentage for Art contribution is the Janus head sculpture by Peter Burke

Keeping fit and healthy is made easy with a home gym with a TV, music system, air conditioning and equipment to exercise every part of the body. The building has also been provided with a walnut floor and shower and toilet facilities.

There are separate toilet and shower facilities to serve the newly constructed, concrete infinity pool. Measuring 13 by 6 metres, this has been shaped to follow the contours of the building and is complete with an electric cover that fits neatly into a recess.

Surrounding patios are ideal for sunbathing, sheltered by the high walls around the property. Outdoor amenities also include a covered barbecue area and a lawned garden which provides a safe, child- and pet-friendly space. A line of hedging separates it from the cottages while specimen palms imported from Italy mark the boundary with the paved parking area. Here a focal point has been provided by the Percentage for Art contribution – the Janus head sculpture by Peter Burke, created from Corten, a weathering steel alloy.

The high standard of accommodation at Le Couperon extends to the two cottages. Although they have undergone a major internal transformation, their exterior has been preserved including their granite facade which was previously partly obscured by a large balcony.

The cottages also retain their original doorways, which are over four feet wide, and have double glazed timber windows to complement their architecture.

Both have high vaulted ceilings with exposed timbers, illuminated with uplighters. One is a studio unit with an integral kitchen and separate wet room while the other is larger with a living room, bedroom and bathroom. These quarters have access to their own, walled-in amenity area with a separate access from Le Breque du Sud.

The asking price is £8,500,000 and further information is available from Wilsons, telephone 877977, Thompson Estates, telephone 888855, Savills, telephone 722227 and Broadlands Estates, telephone 880770.

The courtyard has room for several cars

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