COSQUEVILLE TO BARFLEUR 10.61 MILES
A flat day on a wild coastline was in prospect as we left the hotel in Hameau Remond. It was right out of the hotel yard and north back to the coast along the Route du Vicq passing through the adjoining settlement of Hameau Denneret. After 0.38 miles the sea and a car park was reached at the Plage du Vicq and the road bent right to follow the coast. After passing between some houses and the coast the road bent down right and came to an end at 0.55 miles. From here there was a clear path along the inside of the dunes pIled up against the shoreline. More boots full of sand and harder going. Progress along the coast was monitored on the maps by reference to the little rocky headlands and the car parks that were at the end of roads leading to the coast. Inland there were lots of low quality saline grazing fields some with bogs, marshes and lakes within them. On the shoreline were the remains of German wartime installations. The shore itself was long stretches of soft golden sand punctuated by rocky areas stretching into the sea. The plants on this unstable shoreline were only those that could withstand this harsh saline environment. Le Hable was the first such marshy lake on our right and we progressed to the first sandy car park at the end of a track from the village of Renouville inland at 1.21 miles.
At 1.51 and 1.53 miles two tracks come to the shore from Renouville the second one called Les Mares being a tarmac road ending in a car park. The next section had a large marshy lake called La Mare on the right, a protected area. Ahead given good visibility we were able to see two lighthouses, one tall one and one short one which are on our route and enabled us to monitor progress. There were then a number of rough vehicular tracks adjacent to the shore and at 2.66 miles a collection of concrete blockhouses. At 2.87 and at 2.98 miles two tracks came to the shore from the village of Rethoville inland. The second of these tracks was called Les Haysettes and on reaching the shore turned east to follow the shore and we followed it as it was easier going. After another rough car park at 3.35 miles the next attraction was a significant collection of blockhouses on the Pointe de Neville at 3.84 miles.
The track we had been following turned inland after the blockhouses and we turned off it to follow another path running behind the sand dunes at 3.96 miles. At 4.18 miles another road coming to the shore was reached and we followed it as it went east along the shore. At 4.48 miles another track came to the shoreline and we continued to follow the one along the coast. At 4.86 miles another road came to the shore this one called Le Bas de la Rue from the village of the same name inland. A no entry sign forbids vehicles going east from here but the track continued. At 5.18 miles the track joined another coming from Le Bas de la Rue and we turned left along it still following the coast this time with a 21 hectare lake called Etang de Gattemare on our right. http://www.conservatoire-du-littoral.fr/siteLittoral/127/28-etang-de-gattemare-50_manche.htm
At 6.00 miles having traversed the length of the lake next to the sandy beach we reached a road where we decided to depart from the coast and head inland to the village of Gatteville Phare in search of lunch. At 6.13 miles in the hamlet of La Hougue we turned right at a T-junction along the Rue de la Hougue, at 6.27 miles turned left along the Rue de la Houguette and at 6.60 miles we arrived at the Place de Notre Dame in the centre of Gatteville-le-Phare by the church. We equipped ourselves with what we needed for a picnic lunch from the Boulangerie and went and sat in the seats by the church. On the square is the old, simple and attractive La Chapelle des Marins de Gatteville-le-Phare which we visited before leaving towards the lighthouse. http://www.ex-voto-marins.net/pages/lieupage50Gatteville.htm
We left the square northwards along the D10 signposted to Le Phare. At 6.74 miles at the next right hand bend we left it to continue straight on down a minor road called Chemin de Roubary. Passing a number of gun sites and block houses the track led at 7.06 miles to a T-junction with the Chemin de Gattemare where we turned right and at 7.10 miles at another T-junction with the D10 again we turned left. We soon had a lovely view over the harbour of Roubary with the boats bobbing about on their moorings.
At 7.19 miles we left the road to follow a path that took us out to the end of the harbour and around a point called Le Couperon and back on to the D10 again at 7.47 miles. We followed the road around a rocky shoreline towards the lighthouses ahead. This would be an exciting place to be in rough weather as there were plenty of rocks off shore. At 7.93 miles we reached the causeway that led to the lighthouses which were too spectacular not to visit.
Strong currents off the tip of Barfleur, and many shipwrecks (the most famous of which is probably that of the White Ship) made it essential to build a lighthouse. In 1774, during the reign of Louis XVI, the Rouen Chamber of Commerce decided to build a first lighthouse in granite, 25 metres high. At its top fire wood and coal burned continuously. In 1780 a coal fire was replaced by a system of lamps consists of 16 oil lamps in a glass lantern. That is the one on the left in the above picture. This lighthouse was too small to receive modern lenses, and too low to be heightened by 32 metres, so it was decided to erect a new tower in 1825. The architect Charles Felix Morice de la Rue, in the reign of Charles X drew designs and plans for the tallest lighthouse of the time (since surpassed by the one on Virgin Island). The centre stone was laid on and work continued into 1835. On the 1 it was lit for the first time. The old lighthouse became a semaphore.
My translation of part of https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phare_de_Gatteville
The 1774 lighthouse from the viewing gallery at the top of the later one.
The view south towards Barfleur.
The view west the way we had come along the coast.
There is a little museum near the bottom of the later lighthouse and it was open and here we bought tickets to climb the lighthouse. At a height of 74.85 metres and with 365 steps up a spiral staircase it is not for the faint hearted. When I returned to the museum the custodian unkindly remarked that I needed to lose weight!
So it was back down the causeway and at 8.23 miles it was left and along a track barred to vehicles following the coast south. The shore was rocky with occasional patches of sand. At 8.69 miles we reached the other end of the track that was barred to vehicles and joined a road called La Saline which took us along the landward side of the premises of SATMAR. http://www.satmar.fr/uk/home/
The SATMAR operation based in Gatteville is involved in oyster spat production. The premises include a hatchery, a micronursery and a nursery. The road gives good views of the salt water lagoons. Once past this establishment the road returns to the rocky coastline. The Moulin de Crabec comes into view at the end of a creek. At 9.42 miles where the road veers to the right a path continues towards the mill and crosses a bridge over the end of the creek and on to a rough vehicular track at 9.47 miles. Here we turned left along the track called Chemin de la Masse which kept close to the coast but went the landward side of several properties. It ended at a beach at 9.74 miles where it continued as a shoreline footpath. At 9.85 miles at a car park it continued as a road with views of Barfleur and its prominent church ahead at the other end of a bay. At 10.08 miles where vehicles have to go right we continued along the coast road towards the old town ahead. Where the road went right we followed a path along the top of a sea wall heading for the church. On reaching the wall surrounding the churchyard we went clockwise around the 17th century Church of St Nicholas and by the side of the old fort that guarded the entrance to the harbour. The church is a solid but austere building and below is a poor photo of the inside.
Several centuries ago Barfleur was the largest port in Normandy, and has seen several important historical events. It was here in 1066 that the Normans prepared for the Battle of Hastings, while late in the night of 25th November 1120 at Barfleur the ship carrying Prince William to England struck a rock that caused the death of the heir to the English throne and chaos in the monarchy.
The town was burned by Edward III in 1348 and then again during the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1692 it was just off the coast from here that a great ship battle took place, known as the Battle of Barfleur. Extract from http://www.francethisway.com/places/barfleur.php At 10.31 miles we arrived at a slipway where there is a plaque on a large rock marking the departure of the 1066 invasion of England.
We continued along the quay looking down into the fishing boats which come in and sell their catch at the port.
The Café de France is amongst the buildings facing the quay and has a lovely set of tables outside with a perfect view of the harbour. We stopped for drinks and a light and late lunch and were to return here in the evening for some quite superb food, fish being a speciality. The harbour is quite large and it is flanked by large granite built houses, shops and cafes.
It was 10.56 miles before we reached the end of the Quai Henry Chardon and turned right away from it down the D1 the main road out of town towards Cherbourg. A little way down the road, where all the main commercial premises are located, was the Hotel Le Conquerant, 18 Rue Saint-Thomas, 50760 Barfleur +33 2 33 54 00 82 www.hotel-leconquerant.com The distance for today was 10.61 miles, but only 195 feet of climbing (excluding the lighthouse) and 3 hours 30 minutes of actual walking time.
There appeared to be no one at home in the hotel, those that were there were engaged away from the front elevation. There was a balcony at second floor level and when my colleague Peter jokingly rendered "Where for art though Romeo" the balcony doors opened and a chambermaid appeared much to our amusement. The hotel is very up market and well appointed and pricy but it was nice to have a bit of luxury. Hidden at the back is a lovely garden in the photo above.
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