Pointe du Grouin du Cou Lighthouse
 The lighthouse in 2007 | |
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| Location | Pointe du Grouin du Cou Bay of Biscay France |
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| Coordinates | 46°20′40″N 1°27′49″W / 46.3444°N 1.4636°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1831 (first) 1867 (second) |
| Construction | concrete tower |
| Height | 16.33 metres (53.6 ft) (current) 9 metres (30 ft) (first) 14 metres (46 ft) (second) |
| Shape | octagonal tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower, black lantern |
| Heritage | listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage  |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1953 (current) |
| Focal height | 30 metres (98 ft) (current) 18 metres (59 ft) (first) 28 metres (92 ft) (second)[1] |
| Light source | Halogen lamp |
| Characteristic | Fl WRG 5s (depending on direction) |
The Pointe du Grouin du Cou Lighthouse (sometimes called the La Tranche-sur-Mer Lighthouse) is a French lighthouse, located on the eponymous point in the southern part of the Vendée department; it guards the entrance to the Pertuis Breton on the Île de Ré, on the west side of La Tranche-sur-Mer. The lighthouse, constructed in 1953 to a design by Maurice Durand, replaces an earlier tower that was destroyed by retreating German troops during World War II.[2]
Description
The lighthouse at Pointe du Grouin du Cou is a 52-foot-tall (16 m)
History
The first lighthouse on the site was lit on 1 July 1831; it was a small
The lighthouse at the point was completely demolished on the night of 24 July 1944 by German soldiers. A temporary wooden pylon was erected soon after, being lit on 10 October of the following year;[1] the old lighthouse was not permanently replaced, however, until 1953. On 25 April of that year the new tower showed its light, an electric signal,[1] for the first time; it was tended by a keeper until 1985, when it was automated.[5] Today the lighthouse is controlled automatically from Les Sables-d'Olonne; its property is still owned by the government, and is off-limits to visitors.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Base Mérimée: Phare du Grouin du Cou, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of France: La Vendée". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of France: Loire-Atlantique". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ a b "Phare du Grouin du Cou". Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ a b "groin-du-cou". Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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