The Briars was designed in 1895 by architect Charles.H Halstead for William Alexander Balcombe. Balcombe's uncle had formerly been Governor of St Helena; it is believed that the house that he lived in on St Helena was also called the Briars and that this house was built to the same plan. (National Trust Listing Proposal, 1983) Carefully restored in 2001 by GGF Architects.
