Two Forts of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue - Exploring France
As we approached Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue (also known as La Hougue) we could see the immense forts that have protected this town over the centuries, it was quite impressive.
Why La Hougue? Well, it is full of history dating back over a millennium and is full of unusual things to see. We did visit on a Sunday, so the centre was a bit of a ghost town but that doesn't mean there still wasn't loads to do and see. We love exploring France, there are so many places that held such prestigious places in history that are completely unknown now. For example, La Hougue was the first place in Normandy to be liberated by the Germans during World War II. It is also the place where the English War of Succession was concluded. See, full of history!
There are two forts built in La Hougue, one on the main land, and the other on the island of Tatihou. As with everywhere we've visited, we werent able to get to the island due to the amphibious coach not running until spring but, if you are willing, you can walk over to this island through the sludgy sand. Its not something we were wanting to do as we were bound to get stuck on the island but it is possible. The result of these forts were built following a French defeat during the late 17th century. The naval battle of La Hougue happened in 1692 between the French and the anglo-dutch fleet. The Anglo-Dutch fleet sunk 12 French ships off the coast of Tatihou. This battle put an end to the Nine Years War, also known as the English War of Succession. Two years later, it was decided to build the two fortifications. The architect for these was a student of Vauban in order to defend the bay should another attack happen. In 2008, these forts were put on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Fortifications of Vauban.
In the summer, you can pay for a private tour of the tower on the main land but as we've discovered, its not summer and therefore it was closed. But we did get to walk around the outside. We parked a little walk down from the fort to avoid the crowds. It's one of the busiest places (apart from Rennes) that we've visited and we headed towards signs for the walk. No pushchairs were allowed so we were a little intrigued as to why no pushchairs were allowed. The path was narrow and dark, shadowed by the forts walls but to the other side was the beautiful sea of the peninsula. There were tons of sea birds and also the beginnings of the oyster farms.
La Hougue is well known for its oysters and farms. There are thousands of them, as far as the eye can see. We would see more of them in the ocean by the marina. As we walked around the peninsula of the fort, the path started to narrow across sea breakers. Just around the corner, the path was just two feet wide and we could see why there were no pushchairs allowed. A ten feet drop on each side down to treacherous rocks as the tide was out saw us walking very carefully. I am not a fan of heights and I am a bit prone to falling over so I made sure I was very careful whilst walking along the cobbled paths. The path went all the way around the fort, these were the sea breakers for the whole place and there were a few people unsteady under their feet and being helped by others to make it round. At the end, there was a no entry sign but people were trying to ignore it until they saw the path and people coming the other way. There was no chance of crossing ways on these paths!
From the fort, we decided to walk to the town. Along the promenade rather than the road, it made it feel very English. The walk reminded me of a small quaint Cornish town, the smell of the seaweed and the fish made it all feel very familiar. On the outskirts of town, we stumbled across a Sailors Chapel. Historically, this would have been used for the local sailors to worship in as its just around the corner from the marina. Nowadays, it is used as a place of remembrance for all those who have lost their lives at sea. It was very busy and was a very emotional place. There were so many people in there being remembered, and a lot of people very young and in their 20's. It reminds you how dangerous and treacherous the ocean can be.
and it kept getting smaller and smaller. It was a fascinating place with lots of seagulls and oyster catcher birds. If you wanted to walk over to the island of Tatihou, you'd have to walk through these oyster beds. I think it's quite deceiving how far it is, but I would guess its about a mile to walk through the oysters and in the sludgy mud.
W3W Parking – ///crawls.accountancy.gulped Tower of Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue – ///beards.perpetuity.samplers Tower of Île Tatihou - ///syndrome.focal.invoices
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