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Origin and history

The fort of the Flamands, located on the coast of Tourlaville south of Pelee Island, derives its name from a former colony of Brabanons, called "Flamands", which traded there. This place, formerly named Fief-aux-Flamands, was chosen in 1841 to strengthen the defence of the southern pass of the Cherbourg harbour, considered insufficiently protected by the Pelee Island fort. The plans, approved in 1847, also provided for a powder deposit for the Navy.

Construction of the fort, begun in 1844 and completed in 1858, cost approximately 3 million francs. Built in Fermanville granite and Becquet shale, it adopts a trapezoidal shape with a fortified envelope of 53 casemates connected by a gallery. In the centre, powder shops were set up, and a port of refuge served the building to the southeast. Designed as a bastioned bezel, it can accommodate up to 30 mouths on fire.

Between 1923 and 1927, the Flemish dyke was built in front of the fort, connecting it to the continent. In the 1970s, the land of the Mielles finished to suppress its island character. Returned by the Navy to the autonomous port of Cherbourg in 2007, the fort is now in a poor state: its powder shops have largely disappeared, and half of its throat has been destroyed. It was listed as a historical monument in July 2021.

The fort is part of the wider history of the Cherbourg harbour, whose construction, launched in 1783 under Louis XVI, spanned more than a century. The central dike, completed in 1853, and the eastern and western dikes, completed in 1895, made this site the second largest artificial rade in the world. The Flemish fort, although less emblematic than other works such as Pelee Island or Querqueville, played a key role in Normandy's coastal defence in the 19th century.

The harbour, designed to house up to 80 warships, was a major strategic issue, especially during conflicts with England. The work, interrupted several times (notably during the Revolution and during the First Empire), finally ended under Napoleon III. The surrounding forts, such as Chavagnac or Homet, complemented this defensive device, illustrating the evolution of military techniques and the adaptation to the progress of artillery.

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