La Vieille ("The Old Lady" or "The Wrass") is a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
in the ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
'' of
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090. at the ''commune'' of
Plogoff
Plogoff (; br, Plougoñ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
It contains three small ports suitable for small vessels: Pors-Loubous, Feunten-Aod and Bestrée. Local industries include tourism, traditi ...
, on the northwest coast of France. It lies on the rock known as ''Gorlebella'' (
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
for "farthest rock"), guiding mariners in the strait ''
Raz de Sein Raz may refer to:
Places France
*Pointe du Raz, the western point of the ''commune'' of Plogoff, Finistère, France
* Alderney Race (''Raz Blanchard''), a strong tidal current between La Hague and Alderney
* Raz de Sein, a stretch of water located ...
'', across from the companion lighthouse
Tourelle de la Plate—also known as Petite Vieille ("Little Old Woman"). It is among the small class of lighthouses around the coasts of France carrying the moniker "hell", due to a remote position in rough seas.
Initial planning talks began as early as 1861, though the construction project was not confirmed until twenty years later. Fierce tides limited the period in which building work could take place to less than half of each year. After five years, construction was complete and its beam first shone in 1887. The light is
occulting
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks ...
, with a range of ; a foghorn was installed in the early twentieth century.
La Vieille achieved notoriety in the 1920s when two disabled war veterans were stranded there for weeks by storms, their health deteriorating. They were employed under a new law reserving the job of lighthouse keeper to those who had served in the war. The tremendous difficulties experienced in getting them back to shore led to the repeal of the new law. In 1995 it was the penultimate French lighthouse to become automated, a process delayed due to the keepers on-site staging a protest against the task being carried out.
Construction and history
Planning
On 30 November 1861, the French (the Lighthouse Commission) decided in favour of constructing a "3rd order" lighthouse on Gorlebella rock, inviting engineers to carry out a pilot study the following year. The study was postponed, however, due to funding difficulties as well as other construction projects such as
Ar Men
Ar Men ("the rock" in Breton) is a lighthouse at one end of the Chaussée de l'Île de Sein, at the west end of Brittany. It shares its name with the rock on which it was erected between 1867 and 1881. It is a listed monument since 2017.
Ar Men ...
having just begun.
The project resumed ten years later, but the (Lighthouse Service) director was forced to admit on 1 June 1872 that "construction of a lighthouse on La Vieille will be postponed for the foreseeable future, and the difficulties encountered in embarking on the rock could even see it abandoned altogether". A meeting convened on 14 January 1873 agreed that "the exceptional difficulties that this public work presents compels us to postpone the project, particularly given the presence of similar work being undertaken on the rock of Ar Men".
In the meantime the lanterns of nearby
Phare de Tévennec and the
Île-de-Sein light partially compensated for the continuing lack of a lighthouse.
Construction was preceded by a series of feasibility studies. In 1879, the first of five landings at the rock was carried out, during which
currents
Currents, Current or The Current may refer to:
Science and technology
* Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas
** Air current, a flow of air
** Ocean current, a current in the ocean
*** Rip current, a kind of water current
** Current (stre ...
and ease of docking at the site were assessed. Fishermen from the
Île de Sein
The Île de Sein is a Breton island in the Atlantic Ocean, off Finistère, eight kilometres from the Pointe du Raz (''raz'' meaning "water current"), from which it is separated by the Raz de Sein. Its Breton name is ''Enez-Sun''. The island, ...
, begrudgingly or otherwise, successfully established the first mooring points. Six cubic metres of stonework were built for the base, with the help of stonemasons who had already worked on the lighthouse of Ar Men. This enabled the rock to be boarded from the north-east.
The following year, a dozen more landings were carried out. Mooring rings and securing bars were implanted, which acted as a solid base that could subsequently be used as a landing platform for building materials. This foundation was built out of 37 cubic metres of stone work.
The Minister of Public Works,
Sadi Carnot, issued a statement on 29 January 1881 that "from information gathered and results obtained during the 1879–80 initiatives, it is clear we can establish a lighthouse on the rock of Vieille, with the amount to be spent in alignment with the services required." A credit of 100,000
francs
The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centu ...
was approved in April 1882.
Although the project had been given the go ahead, the conditions promised a difficult road ahead. In this area of the sea, strong currents surround the rock of Gorlebella almost permanently, due to its location in the direction of the currents. Its few sheltered areas are accessible only for short periods.
Shallow waters lay to the south. Toward the east and west currents ranging from 6–15
knot
A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...
s prevent mooring. Consequently, La Vieille could only be approached from the north side, and even then only during the three days either side of the quarter moon, if the sea is perfectly calm. In rough seas, whirlpools of 40 to 50 metres can be present.
Despite these obstacles, construction turned out less dangerous than at Ar Men. This is due to the fact the rock juts 14 metres above high tide. This shape made it possible to erect a solid 20 metre by 10 metre platform.
Fenoux, the engineer holding responsibility for the lighthouse construction, estimated work could take place for five months per year, made up of two days of good weather each quarter moon, amounting to about 30 landings yearly.
Construction
Firm commitment by the Minister of Public Works to construction of the lighthouse finally came on 29 January 1881, after two years of assessment. Work commenced at Île de Sein, where the raw materials (
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
) were stored. The engineer in charge of overseeing the works, Probestau, set up home on the island. Since the construction of La Vieille followed Ar Men, the team were able to draw on a wealth of experience. Each year on the first of May, workmen would arrive at the island in a small steam-powered boat towing a
longboat
A longboat is a type of ship's boat that was in use from ''circa'' 1500 or before. Though the Royal Navy replaced longboats with launches from 1780, examples can be found in merchant ships after that date. The longboat was usually the largest boa ...
laden with construction materials, as well as rowboats for landing. Anchorages set up allowed the team to
moor
Moor or Moors may refer to:
Nature and ecology
* Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils.
Ethnic and religious groups
* Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...
the steamboat and longboat.
Three
deadweights in the south-west of the rock were laid down, to dock the boat nearby during
flot Flot or FLOT may refer to:
* Forward Line of Own Troops, a technical expression for a military front line
* '' Flot.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Julius von Flotow (1788–1856), German botanist specialized in lichenology and bryology
See ...
and ebb tides. A
mooring
A mooring is any permanent structure to which a vessel may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to forestall free movement of the ship on the water. An ''an ...
buoy floated a short distance from the steamboat. The steamer anchored at nearby
Cap Sizun
The Cap Sizun (; br, Ar C'hab) is a headland forming the western extremity of the Cornouaille, in the French département of Finistère in Brittany, corresponding to the former canton of Pont-Croix.
The best known sites in this region are th ...
stood ready to intervene at the slightest signal if the spring tides rose too high.
In the first landings the team erected a small stone shelter, in a hollow to the east of the rock. This housed the workers, their food, and their tools, allowing the team to work on the rock uninterrupted, whenever weather allowed.
On 5 August 1882, work began on the masonry structure. The tower, its base, and part of the interior were finished in 1886, after three seasons of work. The stonework was
reinforced with
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th ...
from
Boulogne mixed with seawater for the base, but with freshwater for the rest of the building. The remaining interior work was finished in 1887.
The feasibility studies and construction were directed from 1879 to 1885 by the engineer in chief of the , named Fenoux. He was replaced from 1886–1887 by Considere. They were assisted by an engineer named Miniac, who was resident at the site throughout its development. The date of completion (1887) is inscribed on the tower.
The lamp at La Vieille was first lit on 15 September 1887.
Architecture and fittings
The architecture of La Vieille was designed to be aesthetically pleasing, yet sufficiently distinct to minimise confusion with the nearby tower Tévennec. Its shape is a squat quadrilateral, with slight
crenellation
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...
s. The tower is square and semi-cylindrical on the north face, widening toward the base. The structure of the lighthouse was built in stone using
bosses of grey granite quarried from the Île de Sein, while the upper part of the tower and corners were built from coated cinder blocks of blue
kersantite
Lamprophyres () are uncommon, small-volume ultrapotassic igneous rocks primarily occurring as dike (geology), dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stock (geology), stocks, and small igneous intrusion, intrusions. They are alkali metal, alkaline silica-s ...
.
The lower floors are
rusticated; the rusticated stone continues as
quoining
Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th century encyclopedia, t ...
to the upper floors, contrasting with the smoother
ashlar masonry. The stone balustrades of the tower gallery are supported by
corbelling with
modillion cornicing. The lantern is covered with a black zinc domed roof, while the light itself is enclosed.
The interior is constructed for efficiency. Water tanks are on the ground floor along with miscellaneous equipment. Upstairs are four rooms for petrol (originally diesel) tanks, a kitchen, lounge and sleeping quarters, respectively. Under the lantern, a small room houses generators.
A daughter tower known as Temperley was installed for use as an embarkation platform during summer 1926. It has been dismantled since the automation of the lighthouse in November 1995. Now, access to the lighthouse is by helicopter.
Signal history
The Vieille's beam has undergone several changes over its history. First lit on 15 September 1887, it had white, red and green sectors, with a 50 cm mirror. At the same time, the twin lights of
Pointe du Raz
The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France. The local Breton name is ''Beg ar Raz''. It is the western point of the ''commune'' of Plogoff, Finistère.
It is named after the ''Raz de Sein' ...
were extinguished. In 1898, the lighthouse was equipped with a 5-second
occulting light
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...
.
Adapting to improvements in
pharology Pharology is the scientific study of lighthouses and signal lights, their construction and illumination. The variation ''pharonology'' is occasionally attested. Those who study or are enthused by lighthouses are known as pharologists.
Origin of t ...
, the type of fuel used by the burners has also changed. The original
mineral oil
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils.
The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...
was dropped in favour of petrol vapour, from 1898. In 1904 a second petrol burner was added.
A foghorn was added on 15 November 1913. In 1939 the light characteristic was changed to 3 occultations (2 + 1) of white, red and green, then 5 white, red and green sectors, with a range of . The same signal is still in use. During the
second world war
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
the light was extinguished, on 21 January 1944, and reinstated on 1 June 1945.
Although electricity was introduced in 1992, the generators installed were used only by the keepers; the light itself remained oil-powered until its automation. At the time of its automation, on 14 November 1995, it remained one of the last two lighthouses still operated by resident keepers. It was the penultimate French lighthouse to be automated, before
Kéréon.
Nöel Fouquet, Jean Donnart, Michel and Guy Rozenn Lasbleiz spent their last night on the lighthouse before its automation on 14 November 1995. In protest against the decision, Jean Donnart and one of his colleagues had refused a previous departure, which explains the presence of four keepers in the lighthouse during its decommission instead of two. Since automation it is remotely controlled from Île de Sein.
Life in the lighthouse
The lighthouse was normally permanently inhabited by 2 keepers, who were relieved at regular intervals, but not together. Fuel
deliveries were brought by two
tenders the ''Blodwen'' and ''Velléda'', both under the control of the Phares et Balises du Finistère.
Rotation at La Vielle always took place the same way: The
vedette approaches as close to the rocks as possible, amid the roar and swell of the waves. Once close, the crew secured the rope launched by the keepers. The rope was used to
ferry a passenger back and forth. Once the passenger had secured his safety belt, he sat down with his luggage astride a kind of large ball that slid up or down the rope. In stormy weather the manoeuvre was particularly delicate and difficult; in fierce gales it was often impossible.
During rotation of lighthouses using the rope system it is mainly the relieving keeper that uses the ball first. Once on the deck, he passes his lifejacket to his counterpart and helps steer the comings and goings to ensure his colleague's safe descent, followed by the transfer of supplies. This procedure ensured the permanent presence of at least two men on the lighthouse, which was essential not only to service but to ensure accurate recordkeeping.
Reserved occupation at La Vieille
In the aftermath of the
first world war
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, France had many disabled
ex-service
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
men among its population. The government enacted a law in February 1924 that reserved jobs for these people. These jobs, supposed to be less arduous than average, included
usher, office worker, policeman, postman, and lighthouse keeper.
One year later, two
demobbed
Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milita ...
Corsicans were appointed to "
Hell" of La Vieille. Terracini (assigned 3 June 1925) and Ferracci (posted 22 November). Both had suffered a punctured lung; the first had muscles in his right arm severed, while the second had shrapnel that surgeons were unable to remove from his body and that might occasionally travel. Their physical condition was probably inadequate to ascend and descend the 120 steps of the tower let alone make the perilous handover.
Once they understood the difficulty of the job, they asked several times to change their posting—which met with refusal each time. Accustomed to a warmer
Corsican climate, the morale of the men only decreased. The conditions in the lighthouse, the humidity, howling winds, and the enormous size of waves and spray—sometimes higher than the tower—were a nightmare for both. They quickly became
neurasthenic
Neurasthenia (from the Ancient Greek νεῦρον ''neuron'' "nerve" and ἀσθενής ''asthenés'' "weak") is a term that was first used at least as early as 1829 for a mechanical weakness of the nerves and became a major diagnosis in North A ...
. Despite this, the light shone every night.
In the third week of December 1925, the weather was atrocious. The Raz de Sein was always in full swing, leaving no breathing space to the men. Visibility was zero, making rotation impossible by any means available at the time. The senior keeper was down, the two Corsicans alone ''in situ''. The black flag, a signal of distress, was swiftly raised. Despite the courage of its crew, the relief vessel was unable to get close enough to La Vieille: the
buoy tender
A buoy tender is a type of vessel used to maintain and replace navigational buoys. This term can also apply to an actual person who does this work.
The United States Coast Guard uses buoy tenders to accomplish one of its primary missions of main ...
''Léon Bourdelles'' was engulfed with all its occupants.
Two months later, thanks to storms clearing, the two men had been sighted—in poor condition. At this point, it was the fog that hampered visibility. On 19 February 1927, the light was extinguished, and the siren was not working. Consequently, a
Paimpol
Paimpol (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwest France.
It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches.
Geography
The town is located in th ...
aisean schooner named the ''Surprise'', struck herself onto the rocks near the town
Plogoff
Plogoff (; br, Plougoñ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
It contains three small ports suitable for small vessels: Pors-Loubous, Feunten-Aod and Bestrée. Local industries include tourism, traditi ...
.
More than a week later, the
tender supply ship was able to get close enough to start the rope transfer. A contemporary newspaper reported "Courageously, despite the sea conditions, the tender ''Clet Coquet'' returned Sunday afternoon to the lighthouse, taking with it the chief keeper Kerninon's own son who has agreed to replace one of the Corsicans". But the two had not reckoned on how challenging it was using this mode of transit. A team of young sailors from Brittany, swimming through the glacial sea, clinging to ropes, finally managed to put foot on the island and return through the same route, with the two wretched survivors both "black as demons and literally in shreds". Both keepers were later assigned to mainland lighthouses. Their plight, publicised after the
shipwreck, was a ''
cause célèbre
A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...
'' of the nation. Paris decreed a permanent ban on employing disabled ex-servicemen in the lighted beacons at sea.
Portrayals in print and screen
The Old Lady's place in the public consciousness and its striking shape have inspired many portrayals in film and literature.
*
Jean Grémillon
Jean Grémillon (; 3 October 1901 – 25 November 1959)Note that, despite attempts at correction, thIMDb entry on the directorlists his date of birth erroneously as 4 March 1898. The correct date is given in his standard biography, by Geneviève S ...
directed ''Gardiens de Phare'' (''
The Lighthouse Keepers'') (1929), a film telling the story of a lighthouse keeper and his son who are stranded by the storm in a lighthouse off the coast of Brittany (La Vieille). The son is suffering from
rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...
.
* Breton folklorist
Anatole Le Braz
Anatole le Braz, the "Bard of Brittany" (2 April 1859 – 20 March 1926), was a Breton poet, folklore collector and translator. He was highly regarded amongst both European and American scholars, and known for his warmth and charm.
Biography
Le B ...
wrote a novel, ''Le Gardien du Feu'' (1900), whose story is set in La Vieille.
* Yves Heurté, ''Le Phare de la Vieille'', Seuil Jeunesse, 1995 : Narrative fiction taking place in La Vieille.
As well as its role as a location in fiction, documentaries chronicling the lighthouse plus the human element have been produced.
* ''Les Gardiens du feu'' (Keepers of the Light) (1992): A 52-minute documentary, directed by Jean-Yves Le Moine and Thierry Marchadier for 1+1 Production, chronicling the life of two keepers of the oil-powered lighthouse. Marchadier followed this up in 1996 with the 52-minute documentary ''La lumière et les hommes'' (The light and the men), which focused on the electrification and automation of La Vieille.
[Documentaries: Lighthouses & The Seas]
". 1+1 Production. Accessed 23 February 2010.
* The actor
Jean Rochefort acted as patron for a 2005 documentary, ''Phare de la Vieille''.
La Poste, the French postal service, commemorated La Vieille lighthouse together with the environs of Pointe du Raz on a postage stamp, in 1946 and again in 2003.
[La Pointe du Raz Portraits de Régions N° 2 - La France à voir - Timbre de 2003]
. 21 August 2009. Accessed 30 December 2009.
Notes
See also
*
List of lighthouses in France
This is a list of lighthouses in France. It includes the French overseas territories.
Metropolitan France
French Overseas Departments and Territories
* List of lighthouses in Guadeloupe
* List of lighthouses in French Guiana
* List of ...
References
General sources
*
L'épopée des phares du Finistère, La Revue > Anciens numéros > Numéros 51 à 100 > : ''Chasse-Marée''. n° 53. May 1991.
*
, La Revue > Anciens numéros > Numéros 51 à 100 > : ''Chasse-Marée''. n° 68. August 1992.
* Puloc'h, Jean.
, (trans: Lighthouses of our islands and their keepers) ''L'Écho des Îles''. 30 October 1993.
* Lessard, Anne.
Le phare de La Vieille. Bretagne.com. June 2005.
*
Section Sécurité maritime - Les Phares et Balises. Direction Départementale de l'Équipement (
DDE) du Finistère
Specific sources
External links
La Vieille lighthouse images
Storm in the Raz de Sein ...10 March 2008Photo slideshow
DDE La Vieille pageWith downloadable plans/designs (PDFs; 1.4 MB .zip archive)
*
{{Authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1887
Lighthouses in Brittany
Buildings and structures in Finistère
Articles containing video clips
Monuments historiques of Finistère