Ambleteuse Fortres (exterior)
3 images 1 contributors Shoot freely
Gert Lucas
About this spot
During the British occupation, in the 16th century, a citadel was built here by order of Henry VIII.
It was located on the high right bank of the Slack River.
Unfortunately, there are only few traces of this, as the village center is now implanted in that place.
This citadel later formed the basis for a harbor, which was built by order of Louis XIV.
At the mouth of the Slack, where this harbor was located, piers had to be built.
To protect the harbor, Vauban was commissioned to build a fort, Fort Mahon.
The shape of this sea fort is a semicircle and dominates the seawall of Ambleteuze.
This allowed the main armament to cover the sea and harbor entrance with six cannons and to attack the harbor itself with two other cannons, in case of emergency.
During World War II, parts of the Atlantic Wall were integrated into the fort.
An observation post was built at the top of the fort.
In the lower gallery, on the sea side, a casemate for the construction of a tank tower, flanked by two Tobruks.
Behind the fort, in the Slack estuary, several Manschafts bunkers can be found, as well as a PAK garage with a double Tobruk pit. There are also two remains of beach barriers.
At low tide, the remains of the former piers can still be seen on the beach.
With a bit of luck you can also observe the freely flushed plinths of the beach barriers from the Second World War.
A visit to the Fort is only possible on Sunday afternoon.
It was located on the high right bank of the Slack River.
Unfortunately, there are only few traces of this, as the village center is now implanted in that place.
This citadel later formed the basis for a harbor, which was built by order of Louis XIV.
At the mouth of the Slack, where this harbor was located, piers had to be built.
To protect the harbor, Vauban was commissioned to build a fort, Fort Mahon.
The shape of this sea fort is a semicircle and dominates the seawall of Ambleteuze.
This allowed the main armament to cover the sea and harbor entrance with six cannons and to attack the harbor itself with two other cannons, in case of emergency.
During World War II, parts of the Atlantic Wall were integrated into the fort.
An observation post was built at the top of the fort.
In the lower gallery, on the sea side, a casemate for the construction of a tank tower, flanked by two Tobruks.
Behind the fort, in the Slack estuary, several Manschafts bunkers can be found, as well as a PAK garage with a double Tobruk pit. There are also two remains of beach barriers.
At low tide, the remains of the former piers can still be seen on the beach.
With a bit of luck you can also observe the freely flushed plinths of the beach barriers from the Second World War.
A visit to the Fort is only possible on Sunday afternoon.
Join PhotoHound to learn how, where and when to capture amazing photos here
- Know the best times, seasons & shooting conditions
- Detailed directions - maps, co-ordinates and directions
- Know how to get there - where to park or how to reach there using public transport
- Browse inspirational photos and learn how they were taken - see the EXIF details
- Bookmark your favourite spots for future reference
- Know exactly when to shoot for beautiful photographs - sunrise, sunset, blue hour and astrophotography
- Detailed, 7-day weather forecast at this location
- Share your images with like-minded travel photographers
