First mention of a work XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Defence work certified on the tip.
1694
Developments in Vauban
Developments in Vauban 1694 (≈ 1694)
Low battery and signal installed.
1812
Construction of Model Tower No. 3
Construction of Model Tower No. 3 1812 (≈ 1812)
Artillery tower for 12 to 18 men.
1848
Construction of lighthouse
Construction of lighthouse 1848 (≈ 1848)
Phare still in operation today.
1883-1899
Battery modernization
Battery modernization 1883-1899 (≈ 1891)
16 cm, 19 cm and 24 cm cannons installed.
1949
Construction of the semaphore
Construction of the semaphore 1949 (≈ 1949)
Current military site of the National Navy.
2013
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 2013 (≈ 2013)
Protection of the tower and its ramparts.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The defensive ensemble formed by the 1811 model tower, its defence walls, the escarp wall and their ditches, in full (Box CM 2 to 4): ranking by order of 25 April 2013
Key figures
Vauban - Military engineer
Designed the bass battery (1694).
De Caux - Military Cartographer
Put the battery in Atlas (1784).
Lieutenant du Génie Boüevec - Cartographer Officer
Prepares a detailed plan (1818).
Origin and history
The tip of the Toulingualt, located at the end of the Crozon peninsula (Camaret-sur-Mer, Brittany), has been a strategic site since the 12th century. Its toponym Breton Toul inged ("Ploverhole") evokes a rock pierced at sea. In the 17th century, Vauban built a low battery, of which only one platform remains difficult to identify. The site also houses a lighthouse built in 1848 and a military semaphore (1949), still in operation today.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a model tower No. 3 (1812) was erected according to the standardized plans of 1811 to house 12 to 18 soldiers. Around 1884, it was reinforced by a wall of enclosure with masonry ditch, forming a straight defensive front. The tower, raised on three levels, includes a granite-dalled artillery terrace and vaulted rooms. Its entrance, originally planned for the second level with a drawbridge, was modified around 1884 for one level access.
The coastal batteries of the Toulingualt, gradually armed between 1883 and 1899, house 16 cm, 19 cm, and 24 cm guns, as well as mortars. Their role evolves with military technologies: defense of Camaret anchorage, and then remote protection of the Brest gully. In 1922, a portion of the weaponry was considered obsolete, but the site remained strategic during the Second World War, with the creation of new long-range batteries on nearby tips.
The site, classified as a Historical Monument in 2013, is now banned because of its membership in the military domain of the National Navy. It also includes prehistoric remains, powder shops (1879 and 1890-1893), and traces of the seven batteries mentioned on the 1831 cadastre. Local geology, marked by Armo Rican sandstones and Hercynian faults, is also of scientific interest.
A major shipwreck took place near the point on August 8, 1918: the British cargo ship Swansea-Vale (1,310 tons) struck the Trépied rocks and flowed between the Toulingualt and the fort of Bertheaume. The crew managed to evacuate in time. This site thus illustrates both the military, maritime and geological history of the Crozon peninsula.
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