Three successive lighthouses on the same site
The first structure was lit on June 7, 1892, at a height of 25 metres. For budgetary reasons, it was built in brick. Twenty years on, this construction material is already showing serious weaknesses. Significant cracks have appeared in the structure, which is suffering from serious seepage. The interior fittings are suffering from damp on this promontory, which is highly exposed to Picardy conditions.
After the German invasion of 1939, it was decided that the old lighthouse represented a strategic danger to the Nazi occupiers. The structure was dynamited in 1940.
A temporary structure, in the form of a simple pylon with no lighting, was erected in 1942, to be replaced by the current building a few years later.
A crucial role in the Bay of the Somme with its 17-mile range
The current Ault lighthouse was commissioned in 1951. It is a white, truncated cone-shaped tower in reinforced concrete, with red bricks at the top. It stands next to the semaphore. Automated since 2001, it is controlled from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme.
Its halogen lantern features a 650W bulb with a 17-mile range. It is distinguished by its white and red light with 3 grouped 12-second occultations.
The lantern is accessed via a concrete spiral staircase leading to an entrance hall with a tiled star motif.
A 360° view
Situated 108 meters above sea level, the Ault lighthouse stands 28 meters high, offering a 360° panoramic view of the sea and hinterland. Closed to the public for obscure administrative reasons, the lighthouse needed to be brought up to standard and its heavy wooden door refurbished to welcome visitors once again.
Simply make a reservation with the Town Hall, and you'll be able to explore the site from Wednesday to Sunday evening. Eight free guided tours will be organized every day in high season, while it will be open on Wednesdays and weekends once the summer season is over.
