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Florian Brassart
Published on
Oct 6, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
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Follow News Pas-de-Calais
It is one of the most unusual places in the department. In Pas-de-Calais hides a 165 year old metal lighthouselocated off Huchette beach in Markon the Opal Coast. The editorial team presents to you the Walde lighthouseregistered as a Historic Monument since 2022.
The marker that separates the North Sea and the English Channel
The metal structure today unique in Francewas built in 1856 3 miles from the Calais lighthouse. The Walde lighthouse was built on a sandbank and marks the exact border between the North Sea and the English Channel. It has long been used as a landmark – a notable coastal building used for bearing or alignment – by sailors and boaters.
The 18 meter high Walde Lighthouse was first lit on December 15, 1859. From 1897, the lighthouse was automated to reduce costs. “From gold, no more guards will be assigned there. In 1986, the lighthouse was decommissioned by fire. The lantern is dismantled and replaced by a signal, powered by solar panels,” describes Côte d’Opale Tourisme.
A few years later, in 2001, the lighthouse was turned off because it was no longer useful for navigation. Despite everything, it still remains an important point on the maps today because of its role as a marker between the two seas.
In 2022, it is registered as a Historic Monument thanks to its architecture and its metal structure that are simply unique in the region. When the tide is low, the Walde lighthouse can be approached. And with any luck, the seals will be present under the structure.
However, its condition worries residents who would like a renovation project to be put in place to save it. Response in the coming months…
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