About the Site

This classic British Virgin Islands home is situated in the West End of Tortola, in the Belmont Park neighborhood. On the crest of Rawleigh Hill, the site is a saddle, elevation 350 feet, between Dawson Hill and St. Bernard's Hill. The grounds were formerly a military installation during the 1750's at the height of the colonial sugar trade.

The site encompasses the only remaining ruins in the Belmont area of Tortola from the colonial period. The main and guest houses are positioned from East to West. Due to their position on the saddle, they have views from both the southern and northern sides. The southern side overlooks Soper's Hole Marina and the peninsula of Frenchman's Cay. The northern side rests over Smuggler's Cove beach and looks out to the island of Jost Van Dyke and the Atlantic Ocean.

This home was created by the well-known BVI architect Michael Arneborg. Construction began in the early 1990's and was completed in 2002 with the addition of the pool and southern terrace.

Because of the site and the underground placement of utility lines, there is virtually no chance that any future construction will ever block or traverse any of the house's magnificent views.

About the House

There are spectacular views from every room of both the main and guest houses.

The main house has two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. The second floor living room featuring 2 porches, one facing north and one facing south. The lower floor has a dining room, spacious kitchen, pantry and storeroom, along with a laundry room.

The guest house has two bedrooms, full kitchen, bathroom, porch and outdoor shower. Its primary bedroom is air-conditioned.

The gorgeous, tiled pool and its extensive stonework terrace overlook Frenchman's Cay and Soper's Hole Marina, providing a sailor's dream of boat watching.

Living areas of the two houses contain approximately 3500 square feet. The workshop adds another 200-300 sq. feet, bringing the total usable space to roughly 3700 sq. feet.

About the Grounds

The one-half-acre lot encompasses extensive gardens and brick and stone walkways along with plantation walls.

A sizeable parking area has room for three or four cars.

The "workshop" building provides storage for the gardener's equipment and owner's "lock up".

A 15-kilowatt, fully automatic diesel generator provides significant security against power outages, particularly during hurricane season.

Water is provided by two cisterns, or catchment areas. The primary cistern is located in the main house; the auxiliary cistern is next to the pool. Together they hold up to 20,000 gallons of fresh water.

About the Locale

The West End of Tortola is quickly becoming the most upscale area of Tortola. Along with yacht chartering and supplying, there is interesting shopping available in Soper's Hole Marina. The West End area has many fine restaurants and hotels, such as the Sugar Milland Sebastian's On the Beach.

The southern side of Rawleigh Hill House overlooks Soper's Hole Marina, Frenchman's Cay and the Sir Francis Drake Passage.

The northern side sits just above Smuggler's Cove beach and overlooks the island of Jost Van Dyke and the Atlantic Ocean.   Smuggler's Cove beach is one of the only remaining undeveloped beaches in the BVI. It's a fifteen minute walk or a five minute drive from Rawleigh Hill House.

About the Architect

The late Michael Arneborg is widely considered to have been the premiére builder of fine family homes on Tortola. This house was designed as his personal home, and he and his wife lived in it for several years.

With his passing, his long-time associate Alan Smith continues to maintain the reputation that Smith-Arneborg Architectsdeveloped during Michael's lifetime.