Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cape Lihou Lighthouse, also known as the Granville Lighthouse, was built on the Pointe du Roc in the Channel between 1826 and 1828. Designed by the engineer Augustin Fresnel, who designs the plans and supervises the construction site, it responds to a request from the Chamber of Commerce of Granville to secure the approaches to the port, the theatre of many shipwrecks. The works, awarded to the entrepreneur Vidal du Mont-Saint-Michel, began on 7 December 1826 with an initial budget of 24,292 francs, finally exceeded to reach more than 39,000 francs. The first stone was laid on August 10, 1827 in the presence of Count d'Estournel, and the lighthouse was lit on November 1, 1828.

Chausey's cylindrical granite tower, 16 metres high (52 metres above the sea), houses original interior facilities, including an oak room with marquetry and marble fireplace. His optics, modified several times (1893, 1903), moved from vegetable oil to electricity in 1924, then to automation in 1997. During World War II, the Germans camouflaged him in green. Ranked a historic monument in 2009, it retains a copper dome (1882) and a girouette, as well as a semaphore and a dedicated pavilion.

The lighthouse, one of the oldest in Rossel's plan, illustrates the engineering of 19th-century lighthouses. Its history also reflects the logistical and financial challenges of the time: the entrepreneur Vidal, faced with underestimated costs, gets a bonus of 4,000 francs after claim. The technical changes (mercury conversion in 1893, electrification in 1937) marked his adaptation to progress. Today, remotely controlled from the Chausey Lighthouse, there remains a major witness to the Norman maritime heritage.

The interior, remarkably preserved, reveals artisanal details like carved lions and marquetry leaves. The site, including a mist signal disabled in 1996, is accessible to the public. Its inscription in the inventory of historical monuments (2009) highlights its architectural and technical value, as well as its role in the history of French lighthouses. The sources, including Wikipedia and Monumentum, confirm its status as an emblematic building of the Granvillis coastline.

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