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During the building work on 'Sunset
House', Lady Fortescue & Mademoiselle, (Elisabeth Starr), resolved to
escape to the sea for a much needed rest and change. For many years Mademoiselle
had rented a deserted coastguard station down on the coast in the Var. She
assured Winifred that it was the perfect location where one could
still find peace and solitude. It was primitive, no running water, no electric
light - only candles & lanterns, camp beds and no proper road to approach
by. They went, with a minimum of luggage, along the hair raising tracks, in Mademoiselle's
'Baby Peugeot' with certain larger items being sent ahead to St. Tropez and
later delivered to the cottages by fishing boat!
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When they reached the bay Winifred was speechless..........'Below
us lay a perfect little sand fringed bay flanked on one side by great
grey fringed rocks between which grew clumps of umbrella pines, and on
the other a huge rocky peninsular - almost an island. At the sea - end
of the valley, built upon the sand dunes, was a long low line of
whitewashed, red roofed, one story cottages - the coastguard station.'
From 'Sunset House'.
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The bay and the cottages are due south of
Ramatuelle and best reached on foot via the cliff path from Plage de l'Escalet.
Only one cottage is now intact, this is possibly the end cottage which, as
described in 'Sunset House', served as the kitchen.
Click on the map or use the link
at the bottom of the page to see area map
 View of the rear of the cottages
and out to the Gulf
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 The
row of cottages, now derelict, except the end one. It is believed they
may be renovated
|
 The
end cottage in good condition |
 The
figure walking the dog in front of the cottages is believed to be
Elisabeth Starr
(From the archives of
the Garde de la Côte) |
An early photo of the buildings when
used by the Douanes
(From the archives of
the Garde de la Côte) |
The bay with the buildings clearly
visible in the background
(From the archives of
the Garde de la Côte) |
A plan of the buildings
(From the archives of
the Garde de la Côte) |
A drawing of the bay by Elisabeth Starr on the
top of a letter to Caroline Paget dated 31st May 1934
(From the Plas Newydd archives ) |
   
Pictures - Tony & Margaret Smith,
archives of the Garde de la Côte, Plas Newydd archives |
