île d'ouessant 2: créac'h

Créac'h is big. It looks big. It dominates the Île d'Ouessant, but at the same time is also somewhat aloof by being on the least populated shoreline, the north-west. It looks the most powerful lighthouse in Europe and it is. Up there in that lantern are two massive first order Fresnel optics, one on top of the other but not in alignment, so that two massive beams of light sweep round at night, one chasing the other: it is a sight to behold.

Across the harbour of Porzpaul is a long scattered row of stone houses. Imagine our surprise when at night we looked across to these dark dwellings to suddenly see each house apparently throw all its house lights on and off, in very rapid succession left to right; and then in seconds repeat the trick. Just Créac'h sweeping the island with its light, the flash reflected back from window after window. And the fog horn. My dear, a chilling sound that was – two long wails every two minutes; sends shivers up m'spine even to think about it. We went out in the evening to see this light spectacular, and to see how many lighthouses we could spot. At least nineteen actual lighthouses (we reckon). From Le Four to Ar-Men – the local team of Ouessant lights to the fore as you'd expect.

The facts are these concerning Créac'h: It is 55 metres tall, or 180ft if you prefer, and the two flashes come by every ten seconds. It was built in 1863. The light has a range of over 60 kilometres. 37.5 nautical miles. We've seen the double flash right out in the Atlantic in bad weather, on our way to Bilbao! It is the business (even the rouge of le Stiff was briefly spotted).  There is a signals station under the tower which controls the other lighthouses around. Round the back is the wonderful Phares et Balises Museum, the best collection of optics you can find anywhere. But an ascent of the tower itself? Nah. No can do. More of the museum elsewhere… it compensated for the lack of a tower climb most royally.

The son and heir stands, in the snap above left, as far as we poor visitors are allowed to go, and I have now read that ascents of the tower are unsafe anyway. The fog warning goes rather more often than perhaps the locals may like: day or night of course. The Lighthouse Directory forgets to mention this addition or has it been discontinued, so much has been withdrawn from the former safety regimes as our world goes digital and be-satellited. I trust it won't all end in tears…

Anyway, remember, it's the D81 to Créac'h you want, you can't miss it –– it's a big black and white job and the road leads you right up to the gates. I doubt you'd need to ask for directions. Or that you will be driving. Anyway,  you won't get in. Just go round the back and pray that the museum is open.

I conclude with the four lights of Ouessant and their characteristics as compiled by Jean Benoît Héron into a poster and which I bought in 2011 with great delight. I still seek the companion square poster for the other island lights, further south . . .