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No.26, Cornet Street |
No. 26 Cornet Street is the Headquarters of the National Trust of Guernsey and was purchased in 1983 in anticipation of the Silver Jubilee of the Trust It is one of the earliest complete building of any age within the medieval boundaries of St Peter Port and a building has probably existed on the site since the 17th century. It is of special interest in that the Victorian shop on the ground floor, with its many period fittings, has remained virtually intact to the present day. Around 1750 the shop was re-designed to give access to the upper floors without going through the shop, and a pair of bow-fronted windows fitted either side of the door. These windows are still in place and were provided with reeded shutters, opened and closed by some interesting machinery which still survives intact and in working order! At this time four of the upper rooms were fitted out with splendid Georgian panelling and fire surrounds comparable with any in the island.
The shop owned by the Le Poidevin family was in use well into the 1930s. The business had thrived during the second half of the 19th century as Cornet Street in those days was a prosperous middle class district and the Le Poidevins were typical of the residents of that time. Mrs Le Poidevin was a stalwart member of St Barnabas Church (opposite and currently being refurbished) and it was a mark of the esteem in which she was held that when she died in 1927 the church, which by then was not in regular use, was opened especially for her funeral. When the Shop is open at Christrnas we have two ladies who are descended from the Le Poidevin family come in as volunteers, and often have customers who have childhood memories of the Shop. The central photograph over the mantlepiece in the Parlour shows the Le Poidevin family in 1902. The Victorian Parlour has the range as its focal point and it would have been used for cooking and heating. Lighting was by oil lamps and later by gas when this was piped to Cornet Street at the beginning of the 20th century. The three gas lamps come into their own at Christmas opening!
When the Shop was purchased by the Trust in 1983 it was in a very sorry state with water penetration through the roof and windows and was in real danger of falling down. The Trust was able to buy the house at a reasonable price and then had to set about raising funds for its total restoration. The Shop and Parlour were opened 28th September 1987 by the then Bailiff Sir Charles Frossard, and is now manned by a team of volunteers for the Summer and Christmas openings.