Villa Le Clocher, meaning 'The Bell Tower,' takes its name from the nearby Chapelle de la Garoupe and its distinctive bell tower that has guided sailors for centuries. Originally built around 1910 as a pavilion within the grounds of the Chateau de la Garoupe for Sir Charles Benjamin Bright McLaren, Baron Aberconway, the property shares the same commanding position at the tip of Cap d'Antibes.
In 1950, Anthony Norman, who inherited the Garoupe estate through the McLaren family, commissioned American architect Barry Dierks to expand the pavilion into a proper residence. Dierks, by then the most sought-after architect on the Cap with over 25 villas to his name, transformed the modest structure while respecting its integration with the larger estate. The villa was later separated from the Chateau de la Garoupe and in 1985 underwent a further renovation by Nice-based architect Georges-Xavier Marguerita for French construction magnate Francis Bouygues.
In 1996, Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky purchased both the Chateau de la Garoupe and the neighboring Villa Le Clocher, reuniting the two properties. Like the chateau, the villa was confiscated by French authorities following Berezovsky's death, as both properties were judged to be proceeds of money laundering, and was subsequently sold at auction.