The Picquet House

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments, stars and hearts yesterday, it was quite overwhelming.

Today I have blipped the Piquet House on the South Esplanade. This building was constructed in 1819. At that time the island jail was in Castle Cornet which itself was then on an island. When the weather was rough it was not possible to transport prisoners to the castle and they had to be held in a small guard house on the shore.

In 1818 the British Government decided to build a more substantial building for the purpose. The Picquet house was therefore constructed with Guernsey granite for the sum of £648. It contained a guard room, living quarters, store rooms and a detention cell. There was also an exercise yard. It was in use for almost one hundred years but then became derelict in the early 1900's.

The British Government decided to auction the property in 1926 and it was sold for £1650 to the Guernsey Bus Company. It is now the office for a travel agent.

The name of the building was obviously derived from the military term 'picket' which is a guard / lookout.