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Origin and history

La Pernelle's guard post is a former English guard corps built during the Hundred Years War, whose current building dates from the second half of the 16th century. It replaces a first construction erected in the 15th century. Located at 82 meters above sea level on a 123-metre hill, it overlooks the municipality and nearby Sainte-Pétronille church. This monument, which has been partially listed as historical monuments since 1975, has a surface of 24 m2 and was initially covered with a vaulted earth.

During World War II, the Germans installed a 27-metre Bernhard radar, protected by two batteries, making the site highly strategic. The Allied bombing destroyed part of the nearby church, but spared the guard post. Today, it houses the services of the town hall of La Pernelle, one of the smallest in France, and offers stunning views of the northeast coast of Cotentin, from the Gatteville lighthouse to the Saint-Marcouf Islands.

In 2015, La Poste published a stamp depicting this body of guard in a notebook illustrating the most beautiful town halls in France. The façades and roof of the monument have been protected since the decree of 5 May 1975. The site, owned by the commune, remains an architectural testimony of the historical conflicts that marked Normandy.

According to the Merimée base, the building is located at the 1st Vge of the Church in La Pernelle (Department of the Channel, Normandy region). Its Insee code is 50395, and it is referenced under AE 74 in the cadastre. The accuracy of its geographical location is estimated at 6/10 (a priori satisfactory).

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