Lighthouses and Booms | Office de Tourisme de Fécamp

The lighthouses of Fécamp

witnesses of the maritime history

The origins of the port of Fécamp date back almost a thousand years. Since then, it has continued to evolve to become the first French cod port, and to develop this activity which will be in full expansion in the 20th century.

The red lighthouse and the booms are the first witnesses of these changes.

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The 2 Lighthouses & Bell Benedictine C Oit Fecamp (5164)

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RED LAMP - sea trip
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Phare Vert De Fécamp Credit Oit Fecampimg 0073

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Red Lighthouse Fecamp Img 0075 Credit Oit Fecamp

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PHARE VERT - Sortie En Mer 29
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“I grew up on the shore of the sea, me, of the cold gray sea of the North, in a little fishing town always beaten by the wind, by the rain and the spray, and always full of the smell of fish, of fresh fish thrown on the wharves whose scales gleamed on the cobblestones of the streets, and of salted fish rolled in barrels, and of dried fish in brown houses topped with brick chimneys whose smoke carried strong smells of herring far away over the countryside. I also remembered the smell of the nets drying along the doors, the smell of the brine from which the land is smoked, the smell of kelp when the tide goes out, all those violent scents of the little ports, rough scents and pungent smells but which fill the chest and the soul with strong and good sensations.”

Guy de Maupassant (1850 -1893) - "Fisherwomen and Warriors, 1887"

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Shooting at sea 57
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Credit Oit Fecamp

The lighthouse

Red

The Red Lighthouse was built at the entrance to the harbor on theNorthern Breakwater in 1836.
It was 9.40 meters high at the time and is now 14.50 meters.

The original lighthouse was extinguished in 1901, then replaced in 1952 by the two lighthouses, Red and Green, as we know them today.

If you observe it at night, the Red Lighthouse of Fécamp emits two white flashes every 10 seconds.

The lighthouse

Green

Previously, in 1859, the green lighthouse did not exist. It was a simple cast iron candelabra that lit a fixed red light 47 meters from the end of the pier. Then in 1870, the light was moved to the far end of the pier.

Some decades later, the tide light was removed and then replaced by a fixed white and green light on a white-painted masonry turret. In 1928 a sound device was added for foggy weather.

It was in 1952 that the green lighthouse we know today was built at the entrance to the harbor on the south breakwater. It measures 10 meters high.

If you observe it at night, the green lighthouse of Fécamp emits a quick green flash.

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PHARE VERT - Sea outing Shooting Sea Outing 30
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Credit Oit Fecamp

The booms

The wooden booms framing the harbor entrance offer a striking walk above the back-and-forth of the sea rushing in at the entrance to the channel. The opportunity to breathe the iodized air of the sea.

Dating from the 17th century, they had a breakwater role to secure the entrance to the port and channel the sea current. They also allowed to link the quay to the lighthouses. Today, they are very popular as places to stroll.

Walking along the dike, you will certainly come across several anglers.

Where to find fishing equipment

The docks

of Fécamp

Occupying vast expanses, the docks bear the names of the great men who made the city:

Charles Bérigny (1771-1842), port engineer,
Guy de Maupassant (1850- 1893), writer from Fécamp,
Jean Recher (1924-2005), captain terre-neuvas author of “Grand Métier”,
Joseph Duhamel (1879-1959), founder of the Fisheries of Fécamp.
The quay of the Viscounty, as for him, evokes the title authorizing the levying of port taxes.
The Grand Quai, the main place of landings and embarkations.

The quay of the Pilots recalls the towing of boats.