I am nor sure why we took so long to 'clock' this light: perhaps we considered it rather second class as it did not appear to run to a proper tower – but if JBH gives it credence who are we to be snooty about it? So, 12 August then, en route to Calais from an overnight stay at Rouen (or thereabouts) and coming on via Pourville-sur-Mer (lighthouse) , Varengeville-sur-Mer, Pointe d'Ailly (this one), Tréport, dropping by Ault, zipping through a tourist packed St Valery-sur-Somme……
I was alerted to the potential quality of Ailly by a very crisp and evocative photograph I saw somewhere of the installation, taken in winter, prompting me to project a visit at an opportune moment.
My impression of this phare on site was one of enclosure. It seems to be buried in the woods! But it is still active so I guess the rays get through to those at sea, somehow or other. The closeness to the sea is not apparent when visiting the place by road. Of course the light was firmly closed to a entry from ourselves even though it was August: they must have got wind of our arrival. The weather, although sunny at times, was very wet and windy. Cold even. So perhaps that was why it was fermé.
This station was established in 1775 but was inactive 1940-1944 due to closure and destruction in war. The current phare (1953) has a focal plane of 95 metres (312 ft); shows three quick white flashes, each separated by four seconds interval, every 20 seconds. The phare is 27 metres (89ft) high, a cement block tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the single storey keeper's house.The Pointe d'Ailly is a picturesque but rapidly eroding headland, made famous by a Monet painting. Monet did a lot of painting around here…
The original lighthouse, a beautiful square masonry tower seen in Michel Forand's postcard view, was replaced by an elegant octagonal tower in 1890 because erosion was bringing the cliff close to the station. Huelse has a postcard view showing both the 1775 and 1890 lighthouses. Retreating German forces blew up the 1890 lighthouse on 30 August 1944. Allied forces then rigged a temporary light to the top of the 1775 tower, which was by then at the brink of the cliff, and had the light in operation for New Year's Eve, 31 December 1944. The old tower continued in operation to 1958 and finally collapsed over the cliff in 1964. The present lighthouse is about 400 metres or 1/4 mile southwest of the point and 300 metres from the edge of the cliff. You can visit it in due season for a fee no doubt.
We revisited this superb little seaside retreat on the glorious 12th, (2014) en route to find the Ailly phare…
Photos by yours trully; illustration by, you guessed it, Jean Benoît Héron. The archive photo is taken off the Mers-les-Bains website.
We've not been up to the Madonna, by the way.
Next time!
