Yes… just round the corner from St Malo, or in the case of our visit, on our way to a wintery St Malo, from Angers. Le Herpin is a rock lighthouse clearly visible from the Pointe du Grouin, if it is clear, which it wasn't when we made our planned deviation to tick it off: it was positively murky and raining. But could just about make it out (see above).
We'd also stopped off in Cancale because I had a premonition that there might be Héron postcards and posters to be had in a wee shop there (I was right) and anyway, Cancale is a nice place with a bay full of mussel beds, promenade 'lighthouse' etc. I remember desperately trying to keep newly acquired Héron postcards dry and safely back to the motor. It was pouring down.
Herpin is stonebuilt and marks the western entrance to La Baie du Mont Saint Michel. You can read all about it if you visit the Lighthouse Directory but if you don't want be bothered I'll conclude by pointing out that the gallery (below the lantern) has been boxed in to house an updated fog warning apparatus, and that Huelse's vintage postcard view of Le Herpin is rather good. Jolly fine rocky coastline thereabouts also (see montage below) about which Herpin cautions passing vessels about.
Cancale has an old stone built harbour light (La Houle sous Cancale) that is lighthouse like, a popular landmark to the holidaymakers who go there, as it was with Edwardian holidaymakers; see Huelse's historic snap of the light in its heyday. It is not in use now, supplanted by a pylon light on the end of the extended harbour wall but retained as a complement to the town's seafront and a Monument Historique.
Postcard of le Herpin by JBH, seascape photos by me. Snap of me checking out the Heron postcard choice, by MM.
