le don hilton

LE DON HILTON

Le Don Hilton/La Caumine à Marie Best or as it is known locally, 'The White Cottage' for its whitewashed walls that acted as a navigation point for sailors, was originally a guard house and ammunition store built some time in the 17th century.

La Caumine à Marie Best

The building may have acquired this name after it was used as a temporary home by Marie Best and her children who sought refuge in this remote spot during the smallpox epidemic of the time.

Le Don Hilton

After World War I, the cottage was converted into a seaside holiday cottage.
Captain John Ashton Hilton acquired the cottage in 1932. His widow, Mrs. Marie Hilton, donated the property to the National Trust for Jersey in 1975, along with four vergées of land. The property was named in his memory.

Alderney Sea Lavender

The land surrounding the cottage is salt-drenched during stormy weather, creating ideal conditions for rare Alderney Sea Lavender(seen in the photo above). This plant is only known to grow along St. Ouen’s Bay, in Alderney and along the opposite coast of France. It flowers in May and early June, but it is in full bloom on the dunes in August.

Location

Le Don Hilton is located in St. Ouen's Bay, on a strip of land between La Grande Route des Mielles and the sea wall. The site can be reached via Bus route 12a departing from St. Helier. There is a car-park, opposite the building on the other side of the road. Le Don Hilton can be hired all year round from The National Trust of Jersey.