The Lighthouse Directory tells us that this lighthouse was built in 1958, the original station being first established in 1837. It gives a white flash every 5 seconds. The tower is 31metres (102ft) tall, a cylindrical concrete block tower with lantern and gallery rising above the single storey vessel traffic control centre. Huelse has a postcard view of the original lighthouse, a round cylindrical brick tower which was destroyed in 1944. On clear days the white cliffs of Dover are just about visible from the headland of Cap Griz Nez. This area was heavily fortified by the Germans during World War II; a nearby museum displays artifacts from the fortifications. The area has been incorporated into a regional nature park which is quite nice if somewhat 'concrete enhanced'…
Griz Nez Phare fails to impress. Clearly the product of post war austerity when there was much to rebuild and not much money or time to do it. One is clearly not welcome anywhere very near the tower but the car park mentioned above is a good place to explore the cape which is airy and pleasant, provided you can overlook the Todt constructions that still litter the landscape, left over from the last unpleasantness. They are historic though so one should take an interest. This is just for the record then, but chances are you'll have seen Griz-Nez flashing brightly as you depart from Calais for Dover on the ferry of an evening.
There has been enough interest in this light for Jean Benoît Héron to not only produce an elevation illustration, but also a postcard of which I display herewith. It was from round about the Cap Griz-Nez site that Hitler came to take a shufty at Dover before he shelved ideas of an invasion of Trinity House Territory……
