Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pontusval lighthouse was erected on the tip of Beg-Pol, in the commune of Brigngan-Plages (today Plounéour-Brigngan-plages), in response to the numerous shipwrecks on this coast without signal lights. Its construction, approved by ministerial decision on 20 December 1867, was carried out according to the plans of engineer Rousseau, combining a square turret and a home for the guard. The lighthouse, which was first lit on September 15, 1869, initially operated on vegetable oil and then on oil vapours before its electrification in 1951.

With a height of 14.5 metres and a peak of 18.3 metres above the sea, the lighthouse emits three white and red flashes every 12 seconds, visible over 10 nautical miles. It plays a key role as a relay between the lighthouses of Virgin Island and Batz Island. Its architecture, with 52 steps leading to the summit, has been preserved in its original state, with the exception of recent additions (kitchen, veranda, garage).

The lighthouse lost its last goalkeeper, Marie-Paule Le Guen, in 2003, although she continued to live there until her death in November 2023. Ranked a historic monument on May 23, 2011, it includes in its protection the entire flagship house, its ancillary buildings, as well as the walls and grounds of its enclosure. Its history reflects the evolution of maritime lighting techniques and the adaptation of coastal infrastructures to the needs of navigation.

The construction of the lighthouse is part of a wider context of securing the Breton coasts in the 19th century, marked by increased maritime traffic and technological progress. The lighthouses of that time, often conceived as flagship houses, housed families of guardians, playing a local social and economic role in addition to their technical function. The Pontusval model, with its adjoining home, illustrates this dual vocation.

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