The Briars Pavilion

When Napoleon arrived in 1815 the house prepared for him was not ready, and he spent his first seven weeks in a one-room garden pavilion belonging to the Balcombe family in the Briars valley, in what he later described as the least unhappy period of his exile, largely because of the friendship he formed with the family's teenage daughter Betsy. The pavilion survives with a small display, and the gardens around it are planted.

The main sights

• The pavilion - the single room Napoleon occupied for his first seven weeks.
• The Balcombe association - the family whose garden he stayed in.
• The gardens - the planted grounds around the building.
• The valley setting - the fold above Jamestown the property sits in.

When to go

Year round; the climate is mild in all seasons. The site keeps daytime hours and closes some days. The valley is warmer than the island's interior.

Good to know

The building is one room and half an hour covers it. It is the least substantial of the three French properties. Access is by road with limited parking.

Nearby

Jamestown is below, and Napoleon's Tomb is southwest.