dunkerque

IT IS QUITE A SURPRISE TO FIND when one calls in on this fascinating town, so infamous for the evacuation of allied troops in 1940 and the subsequent occupation of axis forces, that with all the ordnance that must have been flying around, not to mention subsequent bombing of the docks – that the splendid principle lighthouse (Risban) and its junior, St Pol, survived it all almost completely unscathed. How? The port was decimated. Men escaped from and perished around the feet of these two brick built lights. The occupying forces held Dunkerque until the overall surrender in May 1945, bypassed by the advancing allies, left as a side show, to be mopped up later. In many other places German soldiers destroyed lighthouses, but not here…

Note the WWII armoured lock gates in the centre of the picture above – built to protect the harbour entrance from bombing and shelling.

Anyway, enough of that history. This is Jean Benoît Héron's rendition of Risban.

The Lighthouse Directory has more, but in short they record these facts (amongst others):

Dunkerque Risban dates back to 1843. It gives two white flashes, every 10 seconds. Overall the tower is a 56 metres (184ft) tall brick built, with lantern and gallery, over a square single storey brick building.The original first order Fresnel lens is still in use I believe.

The lighthouse is France's tallest brick lighthouse and one of the tallest in the world,  It is built upon the ruins of the Risban, a fort built in the 1680s. Which is why it is called Risban.

Although we have not managed to climb the Risban tower we've found Dunkerque generally to be a fascinating modern town with extensive port facilities, some good old bits, harbours, etc. but for us we relished the juxtaposition of wharves and fine sand beaches, industrial activity, big ships and small, historic boats – and lighthouses. Oh yes, and the Sandettié Lightship, a subject JBH has also turned his attention to (see at the tail of this post) …

This was the last French lightship in service until it was retired in 1989 from the Sandettié station off Calais.– the station is now marked by a British lightship. This vessel, one of only two surviving French lightships, was made a national monument in 1997.

The lighthouse of St Pol is a remarkable Art Deco confection, on the end of a long mole, built to replace a previous more standard sort of feu. My picture is left.

Jeteé Ouest, Feu St Pol, was built in 1937, the architect being one Gustave Umbdenstock. It was an upgrade for the previous feu dating back to 1819. It displays two green flashes every 6 seconds. and is 36 metres tall (118ft). The lantern has a green copper dome. From 1845 to 1963 the jetty light also served as the front light of the Leughenaer Range guiding vessels toward the harbour. After automation in 1979 the building was allowed to deteriorate until, in the 1990s, the government announced plans to replace it with a skeletal tower. A 'friends-of' group was organised to fight this plan and in 1996 the lighthouse was recognised as a historical monument and restored. It is located at the end of the west jetty at the entrance to Dunkerque harbour. It is quite a long walk out to it…

The Leughenaer lighthouse mentioned above, inactive since 1963, has been admired by us, the 1542 tower that is, without realising at the time we were looking at a former lighthouse. Jean Benoît Heron knows better and provides an elevation of said tower with the addition of a lantern on top, as it must have been when operational. There it is below, concluding this evaluation of an aspect of Dunkerque that transcends the events of WWII.

I know there is a spelling mistake below. Something for you to do (finding it).