Spell shoe is discovered in roof

Planners in charge of preserving Jersey's historic buildings are asking people to get in touch if they have found footwear built into properties.

Workmen stripping the roof of a 16th Century cottage found a shoe that had been built into one of the walls.

The custom of burying a shoe under a roof dates back hundreds of years and was supposed to ward off evil.

Stuart Fell, from the Planning Department, said it was the first time he had come across one in Jersey.

Historic properties

Shoes built into old buildings to bring good luck are often found in houses in England or on the continent.

But Mr Fell said he wanted to hear if anyone else had found anything similar in Jersey.

The house, Vallambrosa in St Peter, is among a number of historic properties being renovated with help from the department's Historic Buildings Fund.

Others being worked on at the moment include Les Lumieres on Route Orange, Ville au Veslet in St Lawrence and Seaside Cottage, near Beaumont.