It was in 1875 that this lighthouse, the last in Charente-Maritime, was finally lit to provide access to the Fier d'Ars.
It was 1875 when the lighthouse east of Les Portes-en-Ré, in the Trousse-Chemise forest, lit up for the first time. Its commissioning coincided with improvements in navigation, which meant more ships at sea, and therefore greater safety on the coast. This lighthouse was therefore of the utmost importance. All the more so as, to reach the port of Ars-en-Ré, you have to enter the narrow passage linking the Breton inlet to the Fier d'Ars. The Fier d'Ars is in a constant state of flux, due to the sandbar known as the Bûcheron, on the Trousse-Chemise side. Ships used to use two inconspicuous wooden beacons to mark the entrance. And at night, it was even riskier to enter! A solution had to be found.
In 1866, the Les Portes town council proposed the creation of two more visible lights. Four years later, a plot of land was earmarked and credit was requested to build the famous signal at Trousse-Chemise. The lighthouse house was built upstream, and a lantern was erected 200 meters downstream. While the lower lantern has disappeared, the house has. It consisted of a dwelling for the keeper and his family below, and the lantern room above. An enclosed courtyard gave the occupants a plot of land with a storeroom, laundry room and shed. The janitor's job was to light the fires and watch over them at night, as well as maintaining the lanterns and making sure that the fuel, oil, was always in good supply. Last but not least, he was also obliged to note the times at which the fires were lit and extinguished. The last keeper retired in 1985, when the lighthouse was automated, before being abandoned in 2006. Since June 2022, the site has been rehabilitated by the Département and is now open to the public.
Now restored by the Association pour la Protection du Petit Patrimoine des Portes-en-Ré (A4P), it houses semi-permanent exhibitions on climate, the ocean and coastal preservation.
Open: July 1 to August 31, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 7pm.
Free admission.
In 1866, the Les Portes town council proposed the creation of two more visible lights. Four years later, a plot of land was earmarked and credit was requested to build the famous signal at Trousse-Chemise. The lighthouse house was built upstream, and a lantern was erected 200 meters downstream. While the lower lantern has disappeared, the house has. It consisted of a dwelling for the keeper and his family below, and the lantern room above. An enclosed courtyard gave the occupants a plot of land with a storeroom, laundry room and shed. The janitor's job was to light the fires and watch over them at night, as well as maintaining the lanterns and making sure that the fuel, oil, was always in good supply. Last but not least, he was also obliged to note the times at which the fires were lit and extinguished. The last keeper retired in 1985, when the lighthouse was automated, before being abandoned in 2006. Since June 2022, the site has been rehabilitated by the Département and is now open to the public.
Now restored by the Association pour la Protection du Petit Patrimoine des Portes-en-Ré (A4P), it houses semi-permanent exhibitions on climate, the ocean and coastal preservation.
Open: July 1 to August 31, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 7pm.
Free admission.
