La plage, la dune, M.Louis Blériot
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From the Place de la République in Blériot-Plage, the route follows the beach and then a row of chalets, passing at the foot of a dune where a semaphore station once stood, near the entrance to Fort Lapin, before continuing along the entire dune ridge from Fort Mahon to La Descenderie, at the foot of Blanc-Nez. The return journey follows the coastal GR trail through sea buckthorn and marram grass, passes behind the holiday village and then the Fort Lapin campsite, before reaching the Louis Blériot memorial and the site of his flight.
©Nohcab Louis Bleriot
It's roughly at the height of the Beach of the shacksBut inland, on July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot, aged 37, took off at 4:35 a.m. and landed at 5:13 a.m. near Dover Castle, after a 37-minute flight covering an estimated distance of 37 kilometers. The Blériot XI was sheltered at Mr. Grignon's farm, under the supervision of two mechanics: Mr. Manet and Mr. Colin.
Baraques Beach
©Nohcab The Shacks
The origins of the 'Baraques' date back to the 17th century. The plague decimated the Calais garrison, and the governor ordered the sick soldiers to evacuate the city. They found refuge in shanties built at the foot of the dunes. It was here that Father Limoisin established the parish of Les Baraques and had a wooden church built, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1860, with the consecration taking place in 1863. This church, named Notre-Dame de la Salette, became a popular pilgrimage site every September before being tragically destroyed during the bombings of the Second World War. Following the death of Louis Blériot on August 1, 1936, the hamlet was renamed after the famous aviator, commemorating his 1909 crossing of the English Channel.
Crossing the English Channel: Feats and Legends
©Nohcab 
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