La Jument is a rock lighthouse built with the proceeds of a legacy. Built on a rock called the 'Old Mare' (but in French, obviously), out there in the sea. Not on dry land. La Jument took quite a long time to build: six years no less (some say more) until it was lit in 1911, but many more years to correct its faults. It shook violently in heavy seas. Not until 1940 were these issues sorted out by which time the phare had gained a reputation amongst keepers as a place to avoid if possible.
It flashes red, three times every fifteen seconds, with a range of 19 nautical miles, is 48 metres tall (157ft), an octagonal stone tower (seven storeys) fixed deeply into a massive concrete plinth, that was raised around the tower to stabilise the structure. It even has a fog horn. Jument stands guard on the Passage-du-Fromveur, aligned with Pierre Noires to mark a safe passage through the islands.
I am very fond of this wondrous light and would dearly love to take a boat trip round it. They don't do them. La Jument is 2.2 kilometres off the southern end of Ouessant, so all my pictures of it are distant for want of a decent zoom lens at the time. It is a Monument Historique. There was a special visit organised for its centenary: fully booked tout de suite. My landscape at the top of this rambling is across the Porzpaul bay, one wet day in 2009.
La Jument has featured in many famous seascapes and dramatic snaps (it takes seas right up and over the lantern at times; don't be fooled by my placid views!). The film L'équipier (2004) was made there (and on an expanded replica of the top bit, built on Ouessant); the premiere was being staged on the island a week or so after we left. I have a copy of the film. Mme. Melling bought it for my birthday! A love story of course but all filmed on and around Ouessant and this fine looking light. Then Mme. Melling bought me a jigsaw of Jument – a Plisson photograph from the air, a 1000 piecer. Nearly took as long to do the sea bits as to build Jument: it is framed and on the wall in Sablet… But if you have seen startling images of giant waves breaking around a fine lighthouse with a red lantern, possibly with a retreating figure at its door, then pound to a penny that lighthouse was La Jument. This is worth a watch: Jument on youtube. Or, sans figure, it just might be Nividic which takes even bigger seas.The model shown above left is in the museum – La Jument as built. Not the railings behind it of course, they are to hold back the crowds. And my picture below is of the phare from the headland you can see in the top snap.
That's about it then, for La Jument. Romance on a rock.
Thanks to JBH for his spirited Jument elevation, at the top and below.
