The National Trust for Jersey has sold a 17th century cottage in St Ouen for £1.5 million.

It bought La Ronce on Route de Trodez in 1987 and made extensive repairs and refurbishments to conserve it.

The charity previously considered selling it ten years ago, and again before the pandemic, but it continues to rent it out instead.

A local family offered £1.5m for the property and the Trust's Council decided to accept the offer.

The money will be used to refurbish La Vallette in St John and Les Cotils Farm in St Helier.

Charles Alluto, CEO of The National Trust for Jersey, says it has successfully protected an area of natural beauty and historic benefit, but the time has come to reinvest in other historic buildings in its care:

“..the time has come to move on and release significant equity to reinvest in some of the historic buildings generously gifted to us which, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the donors, will be retained by the Trust permanently.

To fulfil our role as an active conservation organisation we need to focus our attention on those historic buildings still in need of protection and repair. Both our existing repair backlog and the forthcoming buildings at risk register being collated by Jersey Heritage will illustrate that the Trust still has much work to do.”