Cap Gris-Nez
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The poor village Wissant, on the sea shore, about 4. m. N. of this, is supposed to be the Portus Itius of the Romans, the spot where Julius Caesar embarked for the conquest of Great Britain. Roman remains are found in the neighbourhood. The harbour has long since been blocked up with sand. "--Hand-book for Travellers in France (1843) |
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Cap Gris Nez is a cape on the Côte d'Opale, in the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France.
It is located between Wissant (Whitesand) and Audresselles, in the commune of Audinghen (Odingham).
The cliffs of the Cap Griz Nez are the closest point of France to England - 34 km (20 miles) from their English counterparts at Dover. Smothered in sea pinks and thrift, the cliffs are a perfect vantage point to see hundreds of ships from oil tankers to little fishing trawlers plying the waters below.
On the top of the cliff remain the ruins of an English fortress, built by King Henry VIII, at the beginning of the 16th century.
During the Second World War, the Germans built a blockhouse inside the ruins and the place was liberated by the Canadians in September 1944.
It is located along the Atlantic Wall.
Cap Blanc Nez
Cap Blanc Nez was a cape on the Côte d'Opale, in the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France. The cliffs of chalk are very similar to those at the other side of the Channel in England. Cap Blanc Nez is no longer a cape but a cliff.
