The estate of the Ville-au-Roi is said to have borne originally the name of “La Petite Ville.”[123] It has now dwindled down to a few fields, but was doubtless at one period of far greater extent and importance than at the present time. The house, which may probably be assigned to the fifteenth century, is now much diminished in size from what it was, even a few years since, but it still presents an interesting specimen of the architecture of former days. It consisted, when perfect, of a building, forming two sides of a square, with a tower in the angle, where may yet be seen the holes for arrows. It contained a well-wrought newel staircase in stone, leading to a large room, which appears to have been the principal apartment in the house, if we may judge from the careful workmanship bestowed on the handsomely carved granite chimney piece, the traces of stone mullions in the windows, and the ornamental open timber roof, now hidden by a low ceiling. A wall of unusual thickness divides this portion of the building into two parts; and a few steps from the head of the staircase of which we have spoken, lead to the remains of another newel resting on this wall, which evidently formed part of a turret rising above the ridge of the roof, and which could have served no purpose but that of ornament, or perhaps a lookout over the neighbouring country. There are some detached farm buildings, and traces of a wall surrounding the homestead, intended probably to form an inclosure into which the cattle might be driven at night. The remains of an arched gateway at the end of the avenue, leading from the main road, and connecting the western gable of the dwelling house with an out-building, are still to be discerned. This was exactly opposite the principal door of the mansion, which is of good proportions, with a well-executed circular headway in granite, over which is a square recess in the masonry which doubtless once contained the armorial device of the original proprietor. There is reason to believe this was a member of the De Beauvoir family, once very numerous and influential in the island but now extinct, for it was well known that the family was formerly in possession of this estate, and the existence of their arms--a chevron between three cinq-foils--carved in granite on the mantelpiece of the principal room, is almost sufficient proof of one of the name having been the original builder of the house.[124] The estate afterwards passed into the possession of the De la Marche family--also extinct. From them it descended to a family of the name of Le Poidevin. These last falling into pecuniary difficulties, the property by the legal process called “saisie” came into the hands of the present (1859) proprietor, Thomas Le Retilley, Esq., Jurat of the Royal Court.