Phare d'Antifer
2 Chem. du Fourquet, 76280 La Poterie-Cap-d'Antifer, France
Name and Location
The Phare d'Antifer, also known as the Cap d'Antifer Lighthouse, is located at 2 Chemin du Fourquet, 76280 La Poterie-Cap-d’Antifer, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France. The lighthouse's coordinates are 49.6834825 N, 0.1653864 E.
2. Construction and History
The original iron tower on Cap d'Antifer was established in 1894 to mark the approaches to Le Havre. However, during World War II, the tower was destroyed. The present lighthouse was built in the mid-20th century (completed 1955) to replace the wartime loss.
3. Architecture and Materials
The Phare d'Antifer has a slender, tapered cylindrical tower with a gallery and lantern made of reinforced concrete. The tower stands at a height of 42 meters, while its focal height is 128 meters above sea level.
4. Light and Navigation
The lighthouse's characteristic is Fl (1) W 20 s, indicating a flash that lasts for 0.5 seconds followed by a dark interval of 19.5 seconds. The range of the light is 29 nautical miles, and it covers a sector from bearing 021° to 222°. The lamp source has been upgraded to a low-consumption lamp in the early 21st century.
5. Accessibility and Visiting
The cliff-top platform is open year-round with no entrance fee. However, the tower interior is closed to visitors. To reach the lighthouse, drive via D940 from Le Havre to La Poterie-Cap-d’Antifer, turn onto Chemin du Fourquet, and park at the cliff edge. A short walk on marked paths leads to the lighthouse headland.
6. Notable Views and Landscape
The Phare d'Antifer is situated atop 128-meter-high limestone cliffs overlooking the English Channel, offering panoramic views east toward Le Havre and west toward the Côte d’Albâtre (Albâtre Coast). The surrounding landscape features pastoral farmland inland, grazing sheep, steep grass-covered cliff faces with occasional seabird nesting ledges.
7. Anecdotes and Folklore
Local fishermen once spoke of a "phantom light" seen on stormy nights before the original tower was built, which spurred the 19th-century campaign for an official beacon. During World War II, Allied pilots used the destroyed remains of the predecessor tower as a landmark on sorties over occupied France.
8. Technical and Operational Details
The lighthouse is managed by the Grand Port Maritime du Havre under the French Directorate of Maritime Affairs. It has been fully automated since its commissioning and relies on modern rotating optics and low-consumption lamp technology.
9. Further Information
Further reading can be found in "Les Phares de France" by Olivier Thiou, published by Éditions Ouest-France in 2004, as well as the French Lighthouse Service ANFR database and Wikipedia (French).
Details
| Name | Phare d'Antifer |
|---|---|
| City | La Poterie-Cap-d'Antifer |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 49.6834825, 0.1653864 |
| Events | WWII, Allied pilots used the destroyed remains of the predecessor tower as a landmark on sorties over occupied France. |
| Historic significance | not classified as a Monument historique, but protected under national coastal preservation regulations. |
| Stories | local fishermen once spoke of a “phantom light” seen on stormy nights before the original tower was built—a tale that spurred the 19th-century campaign for an official beacon. |
| Architectural style | slender, tapered cylindrical tower with gallery and lantern. |
| Architect | French Ports Authority engineering department |
| Construction material | "reinforced concrete" |
| Focal height | 128 |
| Tower height | 42 |
| Heritage status | true |
| Renovations | mid-20th century (completed 1955) |
| Access description | by car via D940 from Le Havre to La Poterie-Cap-d'Antifer, turn onto Chemin du Fourquet; limited parking at the cliff edge; a short walk on marked paths leads to the lighthouse headland. |
| Accessible | true |
| Landscape type | pastoral farmland inland, grazing sheep; steep grass-covered cliff faces with occasional seabird nesting ledges. |
| View description | panoramic views east toward Le Havre and west toward the Côte d’Albâtre (Albâtre Coast). |
| Guided tours | false |
| Facilities | no on-site visitor center; informational panels on local geology and wartime history present at the viewpoint |
| Nearby attractions | ["the white chalk cliffs of Cap d’Antifer, the port city of Le Havre (UNESCO-listed modernist core), the seaside resorts of Étretat and Fécamp."] |
| Light characteristic | "Fl (1) W 20 s" |
| Light range | 29 |
| Automated | true |