Fort Ambleteuse

Fort Ambleteuse, locally known as Fort d'Ambleteuse or Fort Vauban, lies in the coastal town of Ambleteuse, in the Pas de Calais department in France. Sometimes it is also called Fort Mahon, although I think that is an incorrect name, as the village of Fort-Mahon-Plage is situated some 50 kilometers to the south.

Fort Ambleteuse was built between 1682 and 1690, probably by the famous military engineer Vauban on the orders of Louis XIV of France. It was built on a rocky outcrop on the beach north of the mouth of the river Slack. It served to protect the new navy port being built behind it, also ordered by Louis in 1680. However, before the fort was completed, the navy port was abandoned because it was quickly silting up and the prevailing currents made entrance to the port too difficult.

After that the fort was disused. This changed in 1798 when Napoleon Bonaparte started to think about invading England. He then had the Slack estuary fortified and rebuilt the port. As a part of this building work, Fort Ambleteuse was restored and rearmed in 1803. From then on, until March 1805, the French general Claude-Juste-Alexandre Legrand is said to have stayed in the fort while commanding the 3rd Infantry Division stationed in Saint-Omer.

In 1854 the fortifications in Ambleteuse served as a camp for the army of Napoleon III.

During World War II Fort Ambleteuse was occupied by the German forces. They installed artillery and concrete pillboxes. In 1945 the seaward wall was damaged by 2 sea mines. After the war it was abandoned.

In the last decades it has slowly been restored by an association of volunteers.

At present Fort Ambleteuse houses a small but nice museum which can be visited for a fee. A nice fort on a beautiful location.

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