Alderney

About Newford House

Set over four floors Newford House has five bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms, a sitting room, study, games room and a garden about 60 foot square. Situated in Queen Elizabeth II Street, it is at the centre of town adjacent to and overlooking the parish church of St Anne.

In common with most island property there is no record of the usage of the house before the war but it is probably reasonable to assume that it was generally domestic. During the war it was clearly used by the occupying forces as a number of artefacts including German newspapers were discovered during refurbishment.

After 1945 it returned to domestic use but for a time became the headquarters of the Bank of Alderney whose brief and inglorious existence included trials of its shareholders for money laundering and corruption. The court hearing prior to its eventual liquidation in 1968 used such phrases as 'confusion', 'disaster' and 'dubious transactions' in its final judgment but amonst the underhand skullduggery the bank appears to have had at least a respectable veneer issuing cheques (New Street was renamed Queen Elizabeth II Street after the queen's visit in 1977) and taking deposits. The arch window at the front of the house was installed to advertise their existence.

Subsequent to the bank's liquidation the building returned to domestic use with the basement being separately occupied but the property was essentially neglected for many years prior to purchase. The garden was so overgrown that it was impossible to see more than a third of the way down and even the estate agent was surprised when its full extent was revealed and the basement resembled an indoor swimming pool.