|
|
|
House
of guard (Corps de garde) |
|
 |
A the west of the Guesclin
cove, the footpath GR. 34 which follows the old customs officers
path goes up above the Anse Margot to an old guard-room. This
belonged to the system of defense set up by the harbour office
of Saint-Coulomb in the years 1750. 4 other batteries existed
then. In addition to this one, one can still see a guard-room in
perfect condition on the Pointe du Meinga. |
|
|
The
Point of « Grands Nez” |
|
The GR. 34 follows the
littoral colombanais. an hours walk from the “Anse du Guesclin”
which takes us to the end of this point bordered by the sea and
high granite cliffs and the market gardens which profit from the
moderate climate of the area. Cauliflowers and potatoes
alternate in the course of the years on the littoral fringe
while inside the grounds the fodder crops develop. |
 |
At the end of the point, one can admire the 2 beaches of Touesse and the
Port and the rocks of Tintiaux which rise 9m above the level of the low
tides.
|
|
 |
A vast rocky outcrop, the
point of Meinga advances largely in the sea. One end can be
reached from the GR. 34 or a path located at the top, one
embraces a vast panorama which extends from Cotentin in the “Cap
Fréhel”. In front, the Chausey Islands punctuate the horizon. In
clear weather, one can even see the island of Jersey located at
nearly 35 nautical miles. |
This advanced situation makes
the point of Meinga an excellent observation point of the
departure of the Road of Rum, a sea race of sailing ships which
leaves from Saint-Malo (more precisely from the Pointe du Grouin
in Cancale) every 4 years (next departure in November 2006)
Soon, our ancestors had appreciated the strategic situation of
the point, One still finds trace of a barred spur which
protected a vast cutting off from 15 ha. It is possible that it
was useful at the time of the War of Gaules. |
Later, it was a guards-room
which was built there to prevent enemy attacks. This one is
preserved perfectly, it is today a private property, looked over
by the seagulls.
During the 2nd world war, the point was integrated into the
German defense force against an embarkation from the South
Cotentin. One can still see many blockhouses. |
 |
Today, the wild character of the
point makes this a paradise for line fishermen and
ornithologists who come to observe there the colonies of
huitriers-magpies and other marine birds which carry out their
nesting there.
|
|
The
Besnard island (L’Ile Besnard) |
|
 |
Attached to the point of
Meinga by the Chevrets, the Island Besnard has become over time
and with the accumulation of sand a peninsula. Its high cliffs
dominate the entry of “Le Havre de Rothéneuf”. Its grounds were
still exploited until a few years ago but nature has dominated
with: gorses, brooms, heathers and chèvrefeuille. At the top, a
semaphore unfortunately was victim a while ago of human
negligence. |
|
The customs officer path
which goes around the island makes it possible to observe an
abundant fauna. From there, the sight extends towards the bay of
Saint-Malo and dominates the “Havre de Rothéneuf”. |
 |
|
 |
Vaste wedges of more than 15
ha, the “Havre de Rothéneuf” is enclosed in the north by the
Island Besnard and the “la Guimorais” and in the west by the
coast of Rothéneuf (Saint-Malo) Communicating with the sea by a
narrow sandy part, “Le Havre” drains entirely at low tide. |
One can observe
there, along the tombolo of “Chevrets”, on the grêve of
the “Mites”, a band of seaplants made up of “salicornes,
obiones, atriple” and other vegetations characteristic
of the salt marches.
The slike, i.e. the zone of naked mud covered with each
tide, lodges many molluscs and invertebrates which are
used as food by the waders (curlew, brushes, gravelots...)
and with the limicolous birds (barnacles, tadornes of
Belon ...) They are easy to observe during the migration
period. |
 |
|
 |
During the spring tides,
strong tidal range delights the fishermen who survey sand and
rocks in the search of sand eels, crabs and lobsters for the
luckiest. The “Havre de Rothéneuf” takes its name from a famous
family, the Rothéneuf, semi pirates, semi smugglers. From the
colombanais side, the family bears the name of Harbour of the
Lupin, from the name of the malouinière of the Lupin which
dominates the southern part of the coast. |
|
At the bottom of the
“Havre”, one can still see the ruins of an old tide
mill, the only one of the littoral of Ille and Vilaine,
the others all being located along the Rance. It is the
oldest seamill in Brittany, since it is quoted in acts
going back to 1180. It was a wooden cage mill, with 2
wheels, pressed on a stone dam which benefitted from the
strong tidal range. Exploited until 1899, unfortuately
today little of the original dam remains. |
 |
|
|
|
