Name and Location

The Phare du Cap Lévi is a mid-19th-century lighthouse located at 9 Le Cap Lévi, 50840 Fermanville, Manche, Normandy, France. The coordinates are 49°41′45.11″ N, 1°28′23.50″ W.

Construction and History

The Phare du Cap Lévi has been guiding vessels in the English Channel for over 150 years. Construction commenced and completed sometime in the 1800s, with a historic status of Classified as a Monument Historique (heritage level 3) since May 11, 2009.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a typical 19th-century French coastal lighthouse, featuring a white cylindrical masonry tower with a gallery and lantern. It was constructed using locally quarried stone and lime mortar, with a cast-iron lantern room.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse's light characteristic is not publicly documented, but it is likely a single white flash every 10–15 seconds. The range is unspecified, although typical ranges for similar Channel lighthouses are 15–20 nautical miles. The lighthouse has been fully automated, with the date of automation not documented.

Accessibility and Visiting

The site is reachable on foot via the coastal path (GR 223) from Fermanville, or by car to a nearby parking lot at the foot of the headland. The tower itself is not open to the public, but visitors can view it from exterior platforms. There are informational panels at the approach, but no on-site museum or visitor center.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse commands a 180° vista of the Channel, stretching east toward Utah Beach and west toward the Îles Saint-Marcouf. On clear days, Jersey and Guernsey can be seen. The surrounding gorse-covered moorland and dramatic shoreline attract birdwatchers and photographers.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Locals once spoke of a "ghost light" seen at Cap Lévi during Fermanville's fog-bound winters – possibly a mirage or distant vessel. Keeper's cottages (now private residences) are said to harbor stories of clandestine Resistance meetings during World War II.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse has been fully automated, with no public record of AIS or radar installations on site. The exact flash characteristic, tower height, and range are not publicly documented.

Further Information

For more information, visit the French Wikipedia page at https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phare_du_Cap_Lévi, or consult the Base Mérimée (Ministry of Culture heritage database) reference PA50000064.