Name and Location

The Sémaphore de Pointe Bilou, also known as Arouezva Brignogan, is a coastal signal station located in Finistère, Brittany, France. The exact address is 129 Promenade du Bilou, 29890 Plounéour-Brignogan-plages, and the geographic coordinates are 48°40′36″ N, 4°19′51″ W (48.676764, –4.330742).

2. Construction and History

The Sémaphore de Pointe Bilou is part of France's 19th-century network of visual signaling stations established from 1845 onward to relay naval and meteorological information along the coast. Although the precise construction date is not recorded in available public sources, many stations in this sector date back to the mid-19th century. The station has been continuously operated by the Service des Sémaphores under the authority of the Préfecture maritime de Brest.

3. Architecture and Materials

The building type is a single-storey masonry station housing equipment and staff quarters, with an attached signal mast made of local granite masonry and slate roofing – typical of Breton coast signal stations. The signal apparatus includes rotating optics and electric lamp (for night signals), day shapes and flag hoists on a metal mast.

4. Light and Navigation

The focal height is estimated to be around 20 meters above mean sea level, with the range visible to shipping in clear conditions up to approximately 10 nautical miles. The light characteristic does not follow standardized lighthouse characteristics; instead, it uses flash signals under naval signal code.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The Sémaphore de Pointe Bilou sits on a rocky promontory overlooking the Baie de Goulven and the English Channel, offering panoramic views east toward Ouessant Island and west toward Pointe de Corsen. Nearby features include the Chapel of Sainte-Anne-du-Bilou (ruined sanctuary), dune-backed beach, and littoral heath.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Fishermen recall early-morning semaphore blasts warning of sudden autumn storms. Former keepers' families remember climbing narrow ladders to replace incandescent bulbs before the automation of electric signals.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The station is managed by the French Navy (Préfecture maritime de Brest – Direction du trafic maritime) and still staffed by semaphore officers; it is not fully automated due to manual flag and visual operations. The functions include coastal traffic surveillance, weather reporting, and navigation safety alerts.

9. Further Information

For further information, please visit the Préfecture maritime de Brest's service des sémaphores website (www.marine.defense.gouv.fr), SHOM nautical chart 7130, OpenStreetMap relation: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/54000942, IGN Géoportail: https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte, and "Les Sémaphores de Bretagne," Association historique du littoral breton (publication spéculative).