Labour of Love
Jane Boswell and Alexander Boswell, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, acquired the historic 'Channel House' on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos in 1999.
We had long been aware of the existence of the Turks and Caicos Islands. My sister-in-law, Veronica, had owned land on Providenciales – one of the Caicos Islands - for many years. But it was not until a visit to her home in Palm Beach, after the collapse of a planned holiday to Africa, that she suggested we went over to visit.
Ever resourceful, she booked us into a small cottage on the northeastern point of Providenciales, stuck us on a plane at Miami airport and so began the adventure of a lifetime.
As the plane flew towards the Islands, we peered anxiously through the windows, hoping to get some idea of what lay in store but nothing prepared us for the hot and humid air which hit us as we stepped off the plane and the festive burst of activity that greets all new arrivals. Cheerful faces directed us to where we would find our car.
We set off along the dusty white roads, which then characterized the island of Providenciales, to our destination on Leeward Going Through. Our destination was a small, isolated cottage which awaited us in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.
Love at first sight
The following morning the beach beckoned. Before us lay perfect soft, white sands and the turquoise waters of Leeward Going Through: deserted, calm and tranquil. As we took a walk along the beach, we had our first glimpse of what was to become one of our greatest challenges, The Channel House. It was love at first sight. Like something from a fairy tale, the house rose high above its surrounding foliage, down at heel and waiting for a new owner to take it on. And so began a love affair with these magical islands which continues to this day.
From the beach, we could only get tantalizing glimpses of the house, set in what had once been extensive, beautifully cultivated gardens. Mature coconut palms stood like sentinels outside the entrance doors, their fronds clacking together and shading the upper floors; and a group of casuarina trees whispered to us as they offered the house protection from the onshore trade winds. I had come from a garden design background and was intrigued and enthused by the wide variety of trees and shrubs that I had never set eyes upon before. Alexander remained very quiet as he ran his eyes over a house which was falling apart.
The Channel House
The Channel House is of a traditional Bermudian wooden construction. It sits high up, atop an enormous cistern, which is used to store all the water which drains down from the roof. Due to its elevated position, the house catches every breath of the wind which is filtered through the living quarters by the use of louvers made of Spanish cedar. The heart of the house is of local stone and this encases not only the cistern but also the main living area.
All the rest is wood. The rare greenheart hardwood, used for the floors, was imported from Ochos Rios in Jamaica. This is highly polished and reflects the light.
The great advantage of owning property in The Turks and Caicos Islands is that all property laws are based on the British legal system. This makes acquisition an easy process for any person who owns property in the UK. The contract procedure is based on a standard conveyance which starts with exchange and ends with completion. Acquisition can be supported by a search and a survey and all transactions are recorded in the Land Registry on the island of Grand Turk. A tax is payable by the purchasers, known as Stamp Duty. Different rates apply across the islands, but in Providenciales, which is the most populous island, the rate is 9.75%.
Restoration
When we finally took possession of the house, in 1999, we set about the long task of restoration. There are many skilled workmen on the islands but on the whole they are employed by big companies which are building hotels and condo blocks along the vast stretch of Grace Bay. We tended to employ local Turks and Caicos people and Haitians, who are wonderfully skilled stone masons. They understood the traditional wooden construction of the house and how it was best to maintain it. Everything possible was recycled – alarmingly, even old electrical wire – as importing materials is expensive and an order could take months to arrive. The process was frustratingly slow. It is not easy overseeing work from the UK and during the first two years we made the journey every eight weeks and often found nothing had moved forward since our last visit. There was then a burst of activity whilst we were there, only for the go slow to continue after we had left.
The preservation of water became one of our chief priorities. We are now connected to a desalinated island water supply but this is terribly expensive and we try to conserve water. For the visually important areas in the garden, and for the large containers on the terraces, Alexander has put in a simple irrigation system which we will use until the new plantings (which we completed after the devastation of Hurricane Francis) are established, when they will then have to fend for themselves.
An old, traditional wooden Island house is a huge commitment: not only is the roof paint an annual job but also all the external woodwork has to be stained afresh. It is a constant fight against the sun and the proximity to the sea. With the increased hurricane activity of recent years, we are more aware of how vulnerable the house is and our roof is now tied down with metal straps to the core walls. Our large external deck, with its mosquito netting enclosure, suffered greatly during Hurricane Francis in 2004, as did the garden where large shrubs were uprooted and just vanished. We have learnt to be philosophical: in the newly vacated garden area we have put in a driveway with beautiful stone walls, constructed by two gangs of Haitian stonemasons. They arrived at dawn each day and, to the accompaniment of the tip tapping of their hammers as they shaped the stone, they sang, laughed and joked as they built us two beautiful white walls in the local stone with two large entrance piers copied from 18th century ones on Grand Turk.
Owning property in the Caribbean is only possible if you have a good local agent. Luckily we have one of the best: Kerry Lancaster of Island Villa Management. Kerry, along with her right hand man Thomas, look after the property for us and keep everything looking fresh and well maintained. She also organizes our rentals.
Our love affair with The Channel House continues to this day. People have often told us of the risks and pitfalls but we have only seen the rewards: a home in Paradise.
www.thechannelhouse.com
