Houlgate
Encyclopedia
Houlgate is a small tourist resort in northwestern France
along the English Channel
with a beach and a casino. It is a commune
in the Drochon Valley, in the Calvados
department in the Basse-Normandie
region
.
of Beuzeval. Up until the 19th century, Beuzeval consisted of only a few small houses and farms. On the southern side of the stream was Le Hameau de la Mer, consisting of a few houses, a tile and brick works and a water mill. In 1793, only 204 inhabitants lived in the commune. Des villages Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui, cassini.ehess.fr
and then Paris
and so a wooden boarding house was built.
The sea-side village was named Beuzeval-les-Bains and attracted much Protestant gentry. The population increased from the 1860s
onwards: 270 inhabitants en 1851, 345 in 1861, 515 in 1872 and 1 011 in 1881.
The north bank of the Drochon, larger and flatter, was still undeveloped. A company called the Société de Construction Immobilière (S.C.I.) was formed in 1858 to develop that area of Beuzeval. The company was formed by three men, a financier, a lawyer and a member of parliament, who bought most of the land, divided it into properties, drew the lines for streets and built a wall protecting the developing town from the sea. Within a few years large villas (then called chalets) were built and the quality of build can be seen now as most of these proprieties still exist.
In 1860 the chapel
of Notre-Dame de Houlgate was built. It replaced the old church which was situated too far inland and had become too small to accommodate the growing population.
After the construction and opening of the Grand Hôtel in 1859, the first casino was built and the grandly named "Hydrotherapy" baths which were managed by François Blanc
. The baths' aims were to monitor swimmers and to provide cabins. At the time, it was considered imperative to go to a hot bath once out of the sea to resume normal bodily functions. The establishment was not only open to swimmers but also to anyone who wanted a hot seawater bath.
The post office dates from 1894, it housed postal and telegraphic services and the building still in use today, next to the old boys school (now a school canteen and kindergarten). Its architect was M.R. Lewicki who also built several mansions on the sea front.
In 1882 the railway arrived in Houlgate, with Houlgate station
placed between Dives-sur-Mer
and Houlgate. The walk below the cliffs separating Dives-sur-Mer and Houlgate soon became history when the railway line was built along the south side of the estuary of the river Dives. In fact, the railway was built on the retaining wall protecting it from the winter storms and protected a new road built behind it. In 1884 the line to Villers-sur-Mer
was finished, linking Houlgate to Paris (via Trouville-Deauville
). It then took 4 hours by train to travel to the Paris Saint-Lazare
in Paris and did not require a change of train.
Like all communes of France
, Houlgate experienced a general mobilisation as men were called up to fight in the Great War in 1914.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p129 The French Army
's 3rd corp created temporary hospitals and requisitioned all hotels and some large villas. Houlgate became a hospital town where local "Houlgatais" mingled with soldiers who had been wounded from the front.
Tourist activities resumed timidly in 1917. Fortunes had been lost and Houlgate never found the bustle it had experienced during the Belle Époque
. The Versailles Treaty was signed on 26 June 1919 and the war ended. In 1921 Houlgate's first mini golf was opened. In 1933, an Alsatian
named Laurent Laemlé, created a beach club called the Neptune ClubMarcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p159 near the casino and quickly opened another one near the Kursaal.
concentrated on the construction of the Atlantic Wall
with the laying of barbed wire, concrete bunkers, anti-tank obstacles. In Houlgate this meant the installation of a 155 mm cannon and a radar on the Butte de Houlgate. These installations were the target of several aerial and naval attacks between the 26 April and 21 August 1944.
The Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate was the objective of Operation Sunstar
, a British Commandos
raid on the night of 22/23 November 1941.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p182 Ninety men of No.9 Commando travelled across the English Channel on the HMS Prince Leopold and landed at the bottom of the Vaches Noires.http://www.naval-history.net Retrieved 5 February 2009 The old ferry transported four Assault Landing Crafts which were used for the landing. Four fast gunboats were used to provide cover.
The operation encountered difficulties and did not succeed in destroying the battery position despite being located. It did not succeed in taking any prisoners either but useful information was collected. The commandos escaped on board their ALCs.Marthe Rambaud et Jean-Claude Bosquain (1995). Gonneville-sur-Mer 1939-1945.Commando Veteran Association Retrieved 01 February 2009.
By the 21st of August the Germans had abandoned the town, and the British Army along with Belgian soldiers of the Brigate Piron entered Houlgate.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p189
the beach began. Each site was double checked and it was not uncommon to find mines on the second run. Fifteen deminers were killed during the demining. The de-mining engineers are still remembered and celebrated each year.http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuLocale_-Commemoration-des-Demineurs-avec-le-Souvenir-francais-_14338-avd-20090923-56815032_actuLocale.Htm Retrieved 25 September 2009
The 1960s were marked with an increase in holidaymakers and in the summers, Nestlé
kept three amphibious cars, called Nescannard. These rafts were used to ferry children on trips of ten minutes along the coast near the beach.
In 1963 the new établissement des bains was opened.
In 1967 Houlgate's first horse riding
club, the Shetland Club, was created. Philippe Bellanger, officer of the Haras Nationaux and Jean Larigauderie opened the club to promote riding that once been part of the history of Houlgate and to lead riders on trips to the beach and to the surrounding countryside. In 1971 the club moved to the Clos Guilllaume where it remains.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p216, 225-226
1971 also marked the beginning of building of holiday apartments in Houlgate.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p219-220
In 1974 the Saint-Aubin church received a new pipe organ, the old one was donated to the church in Dives which did not have one until then. The new organ was inaugurated on 19 July 1974 with a concert led by André Marchal. The thirtieth anniversary of the organ was celebrated in 2004 with a concert led by Jean-François Moisson as well as an exhibition by Father Lefèvre.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p224
The manor in Beuzeval was converted into flats in 1980 and Mr de Lovinfosse (former owner of Union Chimique Belge
) bought the grounds and built a 9 hole golf. Despite hard beginnings, the Countess de Brion, who was made administrator by Mr de Lovinfosse, opened a further 9 holes. Profit was small and the golf was taken over by Blue Green.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p227
The Avenue de l'Europe was built and opened in 1985, leading from Place Franklin and Rue de la Vallée, near the Clos Guillaume. A new level crossing, n°83b was opened as a result.
In 1997, the Festijazz was created, a festival of jazz music concerts. The 2006 festival included 500 groups playing over three days.Houlgate council website Retrieved 3 February 2009
In 2001, a landslide occurred on the Butte de Caumont, the slide left the lighthouse unscathed. Road circulation was hindered during the months spent cleaning the mud from the road.
In 2005, the change of the commune's name to Houlgate was celebrated with a Belle Epoque centenary festival, with many local people, including the mayor, dressed in traditional 1900s clothing. A re-enactment of seine fishing was also part of the festivities, as well as a demonstration of 1900s fire-fighting equipment, old bicycles, a cider delivery cart and a group of 1900s baigneurs.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p244-247Houlgate council website Retrieved 3 February 2009
as "Holegate".
In the Middle Ages
Beuzeval was called Bovalis, which became Eclesia-de-Bovalis, then Boseval, a name that can be found written as such in 1077. Evolution of the name and variations are classic of Normandy.
Some explain this name as meaning "vallée des Boeufs" (valley of oxen); others give it a Germanic
origin. Examples of variations include Beuzeville
, Beuzebosc and Beuzemouchel.
Houlgate is located along the English Channel
in the valley of the Drochon. The valley is mostly built up or used for pasture. The town's area is 4.69 km² and the average altitude 5 m. Despite its low average height, the town contains two hills which form the natural limits of the commune:
The high parts of the town are covered by Houlgate's two woods: Le Bois de Boulogne on the Butte de Houlgate and Le Bois de la Butte de Caumont.
The douet (Normand variation of ruisseau or stream) Drochon (once spelt Drauchon) finds its name from the Germanic Drogo or Drogone. This stream, with an irregular flow, is formed by the confluence of at least ten lesser streams and brooks; The Mennetot, des Broches, Gonneville, Riqueville, Tolleville, the Pagné, Petiot, Désert and Bougon springs and the Bérézina.
Some of the springs and fountains of the Drochon's tributary are still subject to pilgrimage; the Saint-Laurent spring at Trousseauville is said to cure skin problems. Discarded clothing can often be seen when visiting the site. Pilgrims wet items of clothing and stroke their wounds and then offer the clothes as donation to the saint.
The Drochon's estuary has always caused problems as sand accumulated. In 1880, the commune paid a labourer 135₣
a year to keep the river's bed clear and maintain the flow.
There were up to three mills, once the property of nobles or the Saint Etienne Abbey
of Caen
. The only mill still standing is the Moulin Landry which is privately owned. The village had one wash house built in 1885 which was restored in 1990 and still stands near the railway station
.
To the East of Houlgate and below Auberville
and West of Villers-sur-Mer
lie the impressive wild site of the Falaises des Vaches Noires, the cliffs of the black cows. These cliffs are a fossil necropolis underneath which lay countless ammonite
s. The cliffs are slowly being eaten by the sea
. Areas of the cliffs have been nicknamed the Desert, the Chaos... The Chaos is prone to landslides due to the seeping of water from the ground and down to the beach, the top layers of clay
slowly sliding above the layers underneath, creating an unusual terrain.
The cliffs are made of three distinct layers; Callovian
, lower Oxfordian
and higher Oxfordian.
, horse-chestnut and ash
.
the hill is referred to as Chauve-Mont sur Dives.
. In 1537, Marguerite Daché, lady of Beuzeval, married Jean Lebrun. In 1607, Thomas de Séran married Jeanne de Lesnerac and the lordship. The seigneurie went to Jacques de Séran, a protestant knight, in 1667. François takes the title on in 1694. He is made Captain
of the coast guards in Dives
. With Marie Eléonore, they founde the Ecolettes which possessed a funding (rente) of £
80 to pay for a teacher. The children of Beuzeval, in small numbers, was admitted to the school. This funding exited until the French revolution
.
The de Morel family did not live in the Manoir de Beuzeval. Around 1720, Gaspard de Morel, knight, lord and sword general of the bailiwick
of Caen
, captain of the coast guards in Dives and High justice lord in Beuzeval. In 1724, his daughter, Anne de Morel married Jean Bart in Douville
. Again in 1724, Gaspard de Morel sells his mill (then a privileged ownership) and two items of land to Pierre Pastey, a mill grinder.
The last family to hold the title was the des Boistard de Prémagny. Guillaume François, councillor to the king, lived in Rouen
. He was squire
, lord of Grangues
and Vauville and sold land in Beuzeval. His daughter, Marie Françoise Delphine, married Pierre Armand de Saint-Philbert. Their son, Albéric de Saint-Philbert donated the field called le Clapier to build the current church of Saint-Aubin.
Houlgate is formally twinned with Axbridge
, United Kingdom.
The inhabitants of Houlgate are called "Houlgatais". Most "Houlgatais" come originally from Houlgate, Dives-sur-Mer
, Cabourg
, Calvados
and Paris
.
3 km (1.9 mi) from the sea side is the Manoir de Beuzeval, built during the 19th century. It is built on the site of an older, medieval castle.
It was called the Manoir d'Aché-Beuzeval, after the family of lords that reigned over these lands. The castle was built over a motte-and-bailey
of 200 paces in diameter, the moat was 12 feet wide. It had a bridge and a brook held up by a dam and mill. The castle also possessed a chapel (dedicated to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
). With its land and dependencies, its garden and park, it had an area of approximately 100 ha
. The castle was lived in and transformed by the Dachey (D'Aché), de Séran, de Saint-Laurens, de Morel and Boistard de Prémagny families. Its last occupant was Louis Henry d'Agier, mayor of Beuzeval from 1818 to 1831. Old and uncomfortable it ceased being lived in.
Previously on the territory of the commune of Gonneville-sur-Mer
it is in 1825 that after consideration of the many lands of the castle that it was decided to retrace the communal borders to place the castle in Beuzeval. A cadastrial survey
took place and the manor, a portion of the court yard and the garden finally become part of Beuzeval (despite the residents being lords of Beuzeval and not Gonneville
).
Between 1620 and 1640, the Château de Beuzeval was part of the fiefdom of the Aché.
In 1815 after the defeat at the Battle of Waterloo
and the fall of the First Empire the region was occupied by Prussian troops.
In 1866, Victor Le Cesne, council member of Beuzeval, built a new luxurious manor house. Upon his death, his brother Jules took possession of the house. It was then lived in by the Viguier family and German occupants who damaged the building and then left it abandoned.
Jean of Aché (the then Lord of the Manor) accompanied William the Conqureror
in 1066 for the Conquest of England. On the 6 of August 1066, a few days before his departure for England, William was forced to take refuge at the Château de Beuzeval due to a storm. The following morning, William thanked his host Pierre de Sinvillex and ordered him to accompany him to England. Pierre died at the Battle of Hastings
.
During World War II
the Germans, once again, established their local headquarters in the Manoir de Beuzeval. After seriously deteriorating the building it lay abandoned. It was subsequently tastefully converted into apartments and is now on the edge of a golf course with ponds inhabited by swans.
Up the Chemin des Rouge Terres 2 km (1.2 mi) from Houlgate town centre is the Château de Dramard, a 17th century manor house built in limestone with a large central section with two small wings. The castle was built on the site of an older, medieval castle, or Priory of Mennetot.
In 1616 the château was bought by Pierre de Dramard, then councillor to the King, who became sire of Gonneville
, Beuzeval and Mennetot. In 1772, Pierre Louis Bonnet, Lord of Meautry, married demoiselle Gabrielle of Dramard. Pierre became mayor of Caen
in 1791 then in 1792 was elected deputy of Calvados under the French Revolution
. The château still stands and is now a bed & breakfast / hotel
.
.
In 1914, the hotel was requisitioned by the military authorities and was the main part of the temporary hospitals 23 and 24 of the Army 3rd corp. In 1917, the number of wounded reduced and the order of derequisition was signed. The hotel resumed its main purpose but Houlgate's golden age had ended. The big fortunes present before the great war no long came but newly found fortunes and a new clientele permitted the hotel to continue business.
In 1939 the hotel was once more requisitioned not by the military authorities but by the SNCF
divisional offices in Strasbourg
. In 1940 the hotel falls into the hands of the Germans and in 1941, the hotel manager, worried for his wine collection, sold his most prized bottles. After the war, the hotel tried to continue business but had to close. A short lived hotel opened in a portion of the Grand Hôtel building. The building is now divided into apartments.
desk was donated to the commune in 1875 and was once used by the council as a meeting table; it is now the mayor's desk. In 1880 was created a permanent post office organisation and it moved to its own premises in 1895. The town hall was modified several times such as the building of a village hall. In June 1897, the municipal council voted to cover the walls of the village hall and to buy 150 chairs at a cost of 5.60₣
each. In 1980 the offices were extended, the council meeting room was extended, the vicarage was converted into a tourist office and its garden transformed into an open square.
and was situated between the William the Conqueror
column and the PN83 level crossing. This complex of buildings, all in wooden planks, was built to carry two functions, a casino and baths as well as an entertainment centre for tourists. It was named the Kursaal, a word of Germanic origin, often translated in French and English as casino. Unlike Houlgate casino, there were gambling tables. It contained warm baths and a guarded beach but never succeeded in becoming a bona-fide casino. The Kursall was demolished by the Germans in 1941.
In 1877 was built the Hôtel Imbert, Houlgate's second grand hôtel, in Beuzeval-les-Bains. The hotel replaced the Mer-Imbert motel (Relais de l'hôtel de la Mer-Imbert) which had been built ten years earlier. In 1907, a rotunda was built, adding to the two wings. In 1921 a new wing to the building was built. The hotel was the most prestigious of Beuzeval-les-Bains and welcomed much rich Protestant gentry. Between 1914 and 1918, the Hôtel Imbert was requisitioned by the French Army
's 3rd corp and used as a temporary military hospital. In 1928, the hotel was enlarged by the construction of a new level in the building's attic. Between 1939 and 1940 the hotel was once more used by the French army as a military hospital then occupied by the Germans. After the liberation, the hotel's owners, the Laout family tried to re-open it. They refurbished bedrooms in groups of ten and opened a restaurant. Their efforts were hampered in 1956 when they closed the hotel. Like many other hotels in Houlgate, it was divided into flats.
Houlgate being a commune, also known as municipality it has its own mayor
. He/She along with the municipal council has power over the municipal budget and hands out building permits.
The council also has the power to create municipal acts. As such Houlgate currently has a no dog fouling policy act that is not applicable at low tide when dog owners are allowed to walk their dogs on the beach.
The council also allocates funds and pays the Direction Départementale de l'Equipment (D.D.E.) for the maintenance of council streets. Indeed since the modernising of the town's streets the council has started to embellish the town by installing flower pots on most lamp posts as well as marble paving. This project started in late 1989 with the creation of a roundabout in front of the town hall. This new plaza features a fountain volcano.
During the mid-90s the council rebuilt the Rue du Général Leclerc
and installed a one way system across the town centre.
The last road work project was the rebuilding of the Rue des Bains in late 2004.
With the increase of the communal population during summer time, much of the commune's two water reservoirs are in great demand. In mid-July the council usually makes the decision to ban the unnecessary use of tap water.
An underground water basin was recently built along the Promenade Roland Garros preventing used water flowing into the English Channel.http://www.ouest-france.fr Retrieved 20 May 2009 The project affects the three coastal communes of the Estuaire de la Dives Communité de Communes and aims to increase the English Channel's water quality.
The town of Houlgate is geared towards the tourism market. Many drinking establishments are open throughout the year. The Rue des Bains is Houlgate's main street and as such many bars and restaurants are open there. The street boasts Italian (Le Marigot, la Patio), sea food (La Maison des Coquillages), brasserie (Le Globe), salon de thé (Lepicq) and gastronomical restaurants (Le 1900).
Casino
Situated on Houlgate's seafront, the casino
is the main establishment. Houlgate has seen two casino buildings on the site in front of the Grand Hôtel and added to the luxurious surroundings of the hotel. The first casino was built in 1860. It was a wooden construction covered in sheets of zinc
. It was rented to the company owner of the Grand Hôtel and managed by a François Blanc
, former manager of the casino of Monaco
. It had several rooms for shows, games of luck, reading and French billiard. It existed until 1906.
The current casino was opened in 1907 and its looks have not changed much since its construction. Only the balustrade and iron lamp posts have disappeared. Built with tourism in mind, it offered concerts, balls, fêtes and other shows, welcoming theatre companies and at one had its own permanent company. The casino also had a round room for ladies and organised fayres for children.
The casino has American-style fruit/slot machines (as opposed to the British bandit), a boule table, a colonial-style bar, the Pondichéry restaurant and a sea side bar. The casino's nightclub 'Le Manhattan' closed in the early 1990s and the restaurant opened in the former club's room. The sea side bar sees many live performances throughout the summer season. The building also has a 150 seat cinema.
Shopping
The town has two small supermarkets (Proxy Market and 8 à huit) and a range of typical shops such as butcher, baker, fishmonger, and newsagent. The town has an indoor market, open Thursdays and Saturdays off season and every day during the summer. Many local shop keepers have a stall in the market. Due to the proximity of the fishing fleet at Dives-sur-Mer
, fishmongers and market stall keepers sell fresh sea food, usually harvested in the early morning (depending on the tide).
Industry
Because the town was built for the purpose of tourism, Houlgate is not particularly known for its industry, nevertheless on the 18th of March 1852 the Patrelle Company was founded, specialising in aroma. Stews, sweets and ice creams are made around the world using Patrelle products.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
along the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
with a beach and a casino. It is a commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Drochon Valley, in the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
department in the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
.
Pre-19th century
Houlgate developed as a hamlet in the communeCommunes of the Calvados département
The following is a list of the 706 communes of the Calvados département in France.* Communauté d'agglomération Caen la Mer, created in 2002.-External links:...
of Beuzeval. Up until the 19th century, Beuzeval consisted of only a few small houses and farms. On the southern side of the stream was Le Hameau de la Mer, consisting of a few houses, a tile and brick works and a water mill. In 1793, only 204 inhabitants lived in the commune. Des villages Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui, cassini.ehess.fr
19th century - development as a resort
Between 1845 and 1850, sea bathing became popular in Beuzeval. The Pilter family opened the first guesthouse for poorer protestant families in 1851 on Rue Sébastien-de-Neufville. Numbers of tourists gradually increased, first from CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and then Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and so a wooden boarding house was built.
The sea-side village was named Beuzeval-les-Bains and attracted much Protestant gentry. The population increased from the 1860s
1860s
The 1860s were an extremely turbulent decade with numerous cultural, social, and political upheavals in Europe and America. Revolutions were prevalent in Germany and the Ottoman Empire...
onwards: 270 inhabitants en 1851, 345 in 1861, 515 in 1872 and 1 011 in 1881.
The north bank of the Drochon, larger and flatter, was still undeveloped. A company called the Société de Construction Immobilière (S.C.I.) was formed in 1858 to develop that area of Beuzeval. The company was formed by three men, a financier, a lawyer and a member of parliament, who bought most of the land, divided it into properties, drew the lines for streets and built a wall protecting the developing town from the sea. Within a few years large villas (then called chalets) were built and the quality of build can be seen now as most of these proprieties still exist.
In 1860 the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of Notre-Dame de Houlgate was built. It replaced the old church which was situated too far inland and had become too small to accommodate the growing population.
After the construction and opening of the Grand Hôtel in 1859, the first casino was built and the grandly named "Hydrotherapy" baths which were managed by François Blanc
François Blanc
François Blanc , nicknamed "The Magician of Homburg" and "The Magician of Monte Carlo", was a French entrepreneur and operator of casinos, including the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco.-References:*...
. The baths' aims were to monitor swimmers and to provide cabins. At the time, it was considered imperative to go to a hot bath once out of the sea to resume normal bodily functions. The establishment was not only open to swimmers but also to anyone who wanted a hot seawater bath.
The post office dates from 1894, it housed postal and telegraphic services and the building still in use today, next to the old boys school (now a school canteen and kindergarten). Its architect was M.R. Lewicki who also built several mansions on the sea front.
Gare de Houlgate
Houlgate is the train station for the town of Houlgate, Calvados department, northwestern France. The station is built in Ouest architecture and is on the Côte Fleurie branchline from Trouville-Deauville and to Dives-Cabourg....
placed between Dives-sur-Mer
Dives-sur-Mer
-Transport:Dives-sur-Mer is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station is open, train services operate year round at weekends as well as on week days during the summer season. Dives is also on line #20 of the Calvados bus company Bus Verts du Calvados....
and Houlgate. The walk below the cliffs separating Dives-sur-Mer and Houlgate soon became history when the railway line was built along the south side of the estuary of the river Dives. In fact, the railway was built on the retaining wall protecting it from the winter storms and protected a new road built behind it. In 1884 the line to Villers-sur-Mer
Gare de Villers-sur-Mer
Villers-sur-Mer is the station for the town of Villers-sur-Mer. The station is built in Ouest architecture and is on the Côte Fleurie branchline from Trouville-Deauville and to Dives-Cabourg....
was finished, linking Houlgate to Paris (via Trouville-Deauville
Gare de Trouville-Deauville
Trouville-Deauville is the station for the towns of Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer. The station is built in neo-normand architecture and is a terminus for two railway lines, the main line from Paris by Lisieux and the Côte Fleurie branchline to Dives-Cabourg.The line from Paris and Lisieux opened...
). It then took 4 hours by train to travel to the Paris Saint-Lazare
Gare Saint-Lazare
Paris Saint-Lazare is one of the six large terminus train stations of Paris. It is the second busiest in Paris, behind the Gare du Nord, handling 274,000 passengers each day.-History:...
in Paris and did not require a change of train.
Early 20th century
In 1905 the village took the name of Houlgate, a name which comes from the hill to the north-east of the coastal village. The town continued to grow with more and more hotels and The Promenade was finished in 1911. The town then welcomed many celebrities and royalty.Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
, Houlgate experienced a general mobilisation as men were called up to fight in the Great War in 1914.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p129 The French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
's 3rd corp created temporary hospitals and requisitioned all hotels and some large villas. Houlgate became a hospital town where local "Houlgatais" mingled with soldiers who had been wounded from the front.
Tourist activities resumed timidly in 1917. Fortunes had been lost and Houlgate never found the bustle it had experienced during the Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
. The Versailles Treaty was signed on 26 June 1919 and the war ended. In 1921 Houlgate's first mini golf was opened. In 1933, an Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
named Laurent Laemlé, created a beach club called the Neptune ClubMarcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p159 near the casino and quickly opened another one near the Kursaal.
Second World War
With the surrender of France, Houlgate was under German occupation until 21 August 1944. In 1943 the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
concentrated on the construction of the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
with the laying of barbed wire, concrete bunkers, anti-tank obstacles. In Houlgate this meant the installation of a 155 mm cannon and a radar on the Butte de Houlgate. These installations were the target of several aerial and naval attacks between the 26 April and 21 August 1944.
The Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate was the objective of Operation Sunstar
Operation Sunstar
Operation Sunstar was a Second World War raid on Houlgate in Normandy, France over the night of 22/23 November 1941.British Commandos of No. 9 Commando took part in the raid their objective was the Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet . Houlgate...
, a British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
raid on the night of 22/23 November 1941.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p182 Ninety men of No.9 Commando travelled across the English Channel on the HMS Prince Leopold and landed at the bottom of the Vaches Noires.http://www.naval-history.net Retrieved 5 February 2009 The old ferry transported four Assault Landing Crafts which were used for the landing. Four fast gunboats were used to provide cover.
The operation encountered difficulties and did not succeed in destroying the battery position despite being located. It did not succeed in taking any prisoners either but useful information was collected. The commandos escaped on board their ALCs.Marthe Rambaud et Jean-Claude Bosquain (1995). Gonneville-sur-Mer 1939-1945.Commando Veteran Association Retrieved 01 February 2009.
20th century
From October 1944, the long task of deminingDemining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
the beach began. Each site was double checked and it was not uncommon to find mines on the second run. Fifteen deminers were killed during the demining. The de-mining engineers are still remembered and celebrated each year.http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuLocale_-Commemoration-des-Demineurs-avec-le-Souvenir-francais-_14338-avd-20090923-56815032_actuLocale.Htm Retrieved 25 September 2009
The 1960s were marked with an increase in holidaymakers and in the summers, Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
kept three amphibious cars, called Nescannard. These rafts were used to ferry children on trips of ten minutes along the coast near the beach.
In 1967 Houlgate's first horse riding
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
club, the Shetland Club, was created. Philippe Bellanger, officer of the Haras Nationaux and Jean Larigauderie opened the club to promote riding that once been part of the history of Houlgate and to lead riders on trips to the beach and to the surrounding countryside. In 1971 the club moved to the Clos Guilllaume where it remains.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p216, 225-226
1971 also marked the beginning of building of holiday apartments in Houlgate.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p219-220
In 1974 the Saint-Aubin church received a new pipe organ, the old one was donated to the church in Dives which did not have one until then. The new organ was inaugurated on 19 July 1974 with a concert led by André Marchal. The thirtieth anniversary of the organ was celebrated in 2004 with a concert led by Jean-François Moisson as well as an exhibition by Father Lefèvre.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p224
The manor in Beuzeval was converted into flats in 1980 and Mr de Lovinfosse (former owner of Union Chimique Belge
UCB (company)
UCB is a multinational biopharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.- History :UCB was founded on 18 January 1928 by Emmanuel Janssen, a Belgian businessman...
) bought the grounds and built a 9 hole golf. Despite hard beginnings, the Countess de Brion, who was made administrator by Mr de Lovinfosse, opened a further 9 holes. Profit was small and the golf was taken over by Blue Green.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p227
The Avenue de l'Europe was built and opened in 1985, leading from Place Franklin and Rue de la Vallée, near the Clos Guillaume. A new level crossing, n°83b was opened as a result.
In 1997, the Festijazz was created, a festival of jazz music concerts. The 2006 festival included 500 groups playing over three days.Houlgate council website Retrieved 3 February 2009
In 2001, a landslide occurred on the Butte de Caumont, the slide left the lighthouse unscathed. Road circulation was hindered during the months spent cleaning the mud from the road.
In 2005, the change of the commune's name to Houlgate was celebrated with a Belle Epoque centenary festival, with many local people, including the mayor, dressed in traditional 1900s clothing. A re-enactment of seine fishing was also part of the festivities, as well as a demonstration of 1900s fire-fighting equipment, old bicycles, a cider delivery cart and a group of 1900s baigneurs.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p244-247Houlgate council website Retrieved 3 February 2009
Etymology
Houlgate is a common variation in Normandy of Norrois origin: "holr gata" "chemin creux" (deep path). Variations can also be seen in Danemark as "Hulgade" and in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as "Holegate".
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Beuzeval was called Bovalis, which became Eclesia-de-Bovalis, then Boseval, a name that can be found written as such in 1077. Evolution of the name and variations are classic of Normandy.
Some explain this name as meaning "vallée des Boeufs" (valley of oxen); others give it a Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
origin. Examples of variations include Beuzeville
Beuzeville
Beuzeville is a commune in the north-western part of the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.Located on the Lieuvin plateau, it is adjacent to the communes of Pont-l'Évêque, Honfleur and Deauville...
, Beuzebosc and Beuzemouchel.
Geography
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in the valley of the Drochon. The valley is mostly built up or used for pasture. The town's area is 4.69 km² and the average altitude 5 m. Despite its low average height, the town contains two hills which form the natural limits of the commune:
- Butte de Houlgate 123 m
- Butte de Caumont 103 m
The high parts of the town are covered by Houlgate's two woods: Le Bois de Boulogne on the Butte de Houlgate and Le Bois de la Butte de Caumont.
The Drochon
Some of the springs and fountains of the Drochon's tributary are still subject to pilgrimage; the Saint-Laurent spring at Trousseauville is said to cure skin problems. Discarded clothing can often be seen when visiting the site. Pilgrims wet items of clothing and stroke their wounds and then offer the clothes as donation to the saint.
The Drochon's estuary has always caused problems as sand accumulated. In 1880, the commune paid a labourer 135₣
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
a year to keep the river's bed clear and maintain the flow.
There were up to three mills, once the property of nobles or the Saint Etienne Abbey
Abbaye-aux-Hommes
The Abbaye aux Hommes is a former abbey church in the French city of Caen, Normandy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen , it is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames , to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine...
of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. The only mill still standing is the Moulin Landry which is privately owned. The village had one wash house built in 1885 which was restored in 1990 and still stands near the railway station
Gare de Houlgate
Houlgate is the train station for the town of Houlgate, Calvados department, northwestern France. The station is built in Ouest architecture and is on the Côte Fleurie branchline from Trouville-Deauville and to Dives-Cabourg....
.
Falaises des Vaches Noires
Auberville
Auberville is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
and West of Villers-sur-Mer
Villers-sur-Mer
-Places of interest:Villers-sur-Mer is known for the large topiary dinosaurs facing the sea from the garden of the office of tourism. In certain years, a baby dinosaur is added to the garden....
lie the impressive wild site of the Falaises des Vaches Noires, the cliffs of the black cows. These cliffs are a fossil necropolis underneath which lay countless ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
s. The cliffs are slowly being eaten by the sea
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Areas of the cliffs have been nicknamed the Desert, the Chaos... The Chaos is prone to landslides due to the seeping of water from the ground and down to the beach, the top layers of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
slowly sliding above the layers underneath, creating an unusual terrain.
The cliffs are made of three distinct layers; Callovian
Callovian
In the geologic timescale, the Callovian is an age or stage in the Middle Jurassic, lasting between 164.7 ± 4.0 Ma and 161.2 ± 4.0 Ma. It is the last stage of the Middle Jurassic, following the Bathonian and preceding the Oxfordian....
, lower Oxfordian
Oxfordian stage
The Oxfordian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the earliest age of the Late Jurassic epoch, or the lowest stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 161.2 ± 4 Ma and 155.7 ± 4 Ma...
and higher Oxfordian.
Bois de Boulogne
The first photographs of the Butte de Houlgate show a barren hill, and so the SCI quickly planted trees. In 1928, the municipal council voted to create a picturesque zone, or green-belt, to protect it from further building and maintain its character. This meant that the trees would be kept and would prevent future landslides. During the Second World War, the site was heavily bombed and as a result all the conifers planted in the early 19th century were destroyed. Since then, vegetation has grown back; sycamoresPlatanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
, horse-chestnut and ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
.
Butte de Caumont
The Butte de Caumont was originally an arid area. Caumont comes from Calvus-Mons Mont Chauve, Shaved Mount and was named as such in 1260. In a charter written by Philip the BoldPhilip the Bold
Philip the Bold , also Philip II, Duke of Burgundy , was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, he also became Count Philip II of Flanders, Count Philip IV of Artois and Count-Palatine Philip IV...
the hill is referred to as Chauve-Mont sur Dives.
Mayors of Houlgate
List of Mayors (Sources: References)| Period | Name | Quality | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 1804 | Guillaume Robert Lebrun | |||||
| 1804 | 1806 | Jean-Adrien de Beaumont | |||||
| 1806 | 1815 | Charles Liégeard | |||||
| 1815 | 1831 | Henry d'Agier | |||||
| 1831 | 1868 | Jacques Landry | |||||
| 1868 | 1871 | Gabriel Davioud Gabriel Davioud Jean-Antoine-Gabriel Davioud was a French architect.Davioud was born in Paris and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Léon Vaudoyer... |
Inspecteur général des travaux d'architecture de la ville de Paris | ||||
| 1871 | 1874 | Charles Mofras | |||||
| 1874 | 1880 | François Lavoley | |||||
| 1880 | 1911 | Georges Landry | Président du Conseil général | ||||
| The comune was renamed Houlgate-Beuzeval in 1898 then Houlgate in 1905 | |||||||
| 1911 | 1913 | Louis-Charles Tillaye (death) | Ministre des Travaux Publics | ||||
| 1913 | 1914 | Léonard Pillu (death) | |||||
| 1917 | 1919 | Albert Février | |||||
| 1919 | 1929 | Louis Burnouf Louis Burnouf Louis Burnouf was the step son of L.C. Tillaye, lawyer at the Court of Appeal, Court d'Appel, of Caen, he was elected mayor of Houlgate in 1919, he was re-elected in 1925. He directed the construction of the war memorial which was inaugurated in 1922.... |
|||||
| 1929 | 1935 | Georges Boulot | |||||
| 1935 | 1945 | Louis Pillu | |||||
| 1945 | 1945 | Georges Lelièvre | |||||
| 1945 | 1947 | Jean Rouget | Docteur | ||||
| 1947 | 1953 | Louis Pillu | |||||
| 1953 | 1976 | Jules Cappeliez Jules Cappeliez Jules Cappeliez was a banker and land owner in Houlgate, France. He was elected mayor of Houlgate in 1953 and remained in service for twenty-four years.... |
|||||
| 1976 | 2008 | André Fauvel | Docteur | ||||
| 2008 | 2014 current | Jean-Claude Pupin | |||||
Lords of Beuzeval
In 1066, Jean d'Aché is made lord of Beuzeval. In 1096, Eudes, the lord of Beuzeval is also made lord of GonnevilleGonneville-sur-Mer
-External links:*...
. In 1537, Marguerite Daché, lady of Beuzeval, married Jean Lebrun. In 1607, Thomas de Séran married Jeanne de Lesnerac and the lordship. The seigneurie went to Jacques de Séran, a protestant knight, in 1667. François takes the title on in 1694. He is made Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
of the coast guards in Dives
Dives-sur-Mer
-Transport:Dives-sur-Mer is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station is open, train services operate year round at weekends as well as on week days during the summer season. Dives is also on line #20 of the Calvados bus company Bus Verts du Calvados....
. With Marie Eléonore, they founde the Ecolettes which possessed a funding (rente) of £
Pound (currency)
The pound is a unit of currency in some nations. The term originated in England as the value of a pound of silver.The word pound is the English translation of the Latin word libra, which was the unit of account of the Roman Empire...
80 to pay for a teacher. The children of Beuzeval, in small numbers, was admitted to the school. This funding exited until the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
The de Morel family did not live in the Manoir de Beuzeval. Around 1720, Gaspard de Morel, knight, lord and sword general of the bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, captain of the coast guards in Dives and High justice lord in Beuzeval. In 1724, his daughter, Anne de Morel married Jean Bart in Douville
Douville-en-Auge
-References:*...
. Again in 1724, Gaspard de Morel sells his mill (then a privileged ownership) and two items of land to Pierre Pastey, a mill grinder.
The last family to hold the title was the des Boistard de Prémagny. Guillaume François, councillor to the king, lived in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. He was squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
, lord of Grangues
Grangues
-References:*...
and Vauville and sold land in Beuzeval. His daughter, Marie Françoise Delphine, married Pierre Armand de Saint-Philbert. Their son, Albéric de Saint-Philbert donated the field called le Clapier to build the current church of Saint-Aubin.
Demography
The historical population for the current area of Houlgate| Year | 1793 | 1800 | 1806 | 1821 | 1831 | 1836 | 1841 | 1846 | 1851 | 1856 | 1861 | 1866 | 1872 | 1876 | 1881 | 1886 | 1891 | 1896 | 1901 | 1906 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inhabitants | 204 |  329 |
343 |
 315 |
310 |
301 |
288 |
297 |
270 |
305 |
305 |
504 |
515 |
658 |
1011 |
1065 |
1110 |
1197 |
1274 |
1204 |
| Year | 1911 | 1921 | 1926 | 1931 | 1936 | 1946 | 1954 | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inhabitants | 1261 |
1132 |
1188 |
1231 |
1339 |
1837 |
1753 |
1588 |
1617 |
1655 |
1729 |
1654 |
1832 |
1960 |
- Population growth: 3.82%
- Canton of Dozulé
Houlgate is formally twinned with Axbridge
Axbridge
Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The town population according to the 2001 census was 2,024.-History:...
, United Kingdom.
The inhabitants of Houlgate are called "Houlgatais". Most "Houlgatais" come originally from Houlgate, Dives-sur-Mer
Dives-sur-Mer
-Transport:Dives-sur-Mer is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station is open, train services operate year round at weekends as well as on week days during the summer season. Dives is also on line #20 of the Calvados bus company Bus Verts du Calvados....
, Cabourg
Cabourg
Cabourg is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region of France.Cabourg belongs to the Paris Basin. The commune is located next to the sea and the back country is a plain, favourable to the cereal culture...
, Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Le Manoir de Beuzeval
It was called the Manoir d'Aché-Beuzeval, after the family of lords that reigned over these lands. The castle was built over a motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
of 200 paces in diameter, the moat was 12 feet wide. It had a bridge and a brook held up by a dam and mill. The castle also possessed a chapel (dedicated to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
). With its land and dependencies, its garden and park, it had an area of approximately 100 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
. The castle was lived in and transformed by the Dachey (D'Aché), de Séran, de Saint-Laurens, de Morel and Boistard de Prémagny families. Its last occupant was Louis Henry d'Agier, mayor of Beuzeval from 1818 to 1831. Old and uncomfortable it ceased being lived in.
Previously on the territory of the commune of Gonneville-sur-Mer
Gonneville-sur-Mer
-External links:*...
it is in 1825 that after consideration of the many lands of the castle that it was decided to retrace the communal borders to place the castle in Beuzeval. A cadastrial survey
Cadastre
A cadastre , using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the metes-and-bounds real property of a country...
took place and the manor, a portion of the court yard and the garden finally become part of Beuzeval (despite the residents being lords of Beuzeval and not Gonneville
Gonneville-sur-Mer
-External links:*...
).
Between 1620 and 1640, the Château de Beuzeval was part of the fiefdom of the Aché.
In 1815 after the defeat at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and the fall of the First Empire the region was occupied by Prussian troops.
In 1866, Victor Le Cesne, council member of Beuzeval, built a new luxurious manor house. Upon his death, his brother Jules took possession of the house. It was then lived in by the Viguier family and German occupants who damaged the building and then left it abandoned.
Jean of Aché (the then Lord of the Manor) accompanied William the Conqureror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
in 1066 for the Conquest of England. On the 6 of August 1066, a few days before his departure for England, William was forced to take refuge at the Château de Beuzeval due to a storm. The following morning, William thanked his host Pierre de Sinvillex and ordered him to accompany him to England. Pierre died at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Germans, once again, established their local headquarters in the Manoir de Beuzeval. After seriously deteriorating the building it lay abandoned. It was subsequently tastefully converted into apartments and is now on the edge of a golf course with ponds inhabited by swans.
Le Château de Dramard
In 1616 the château was bought by Pierre de Dramard, then councillor to the King, who became sire of Gonneville
Gonneville-sur-Mer
-External links:*...
, Beuzeval and Mennetot. In 1772, Pierre Louis Bonnet, Lord of Meautry, married demoiselle Gabrielle of Dramard. Pierre became mayor of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
in 1791 then in 1792 was elected deputy of Calvados under the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The château still stands and is now a bed & breakfast / hotel
Gîte
"Gîte" is a French term which refers to a specific type of holiday accommodation. A "Gîte" is a holiday home that is available for rent. Gîtes are usually fully furnished and equipped for self-catering...
.
Grand Hôtel
The Grand Hotel was built in 1858 for Aubin Albin Vergnile, a financier and president of the Caisse Centrale de l'Industrie, under the direction of the architect Baumier. Initially the hotel had 120 bedrooms, which had been increased to 350 by 1896. The building includes two towers and a rotunda. Dinner was served early, usually around 6pm, and evenings usually ended at the casino. Guests accessed the casino by walking through a luxurious garden, now a mini golfMiniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
.
In 1914, the hotel was requisitioned by the military authorities and was the main part of the temporary hospitals 23 and 24 of the Army 3rd corp. In 1917, the number of wounded reduced and the order of derequisition was signed. The hotel resumed its main purpose but Houlgate's golden age had ended. The big fortunes present before the great war no long came but newly found fortunes and a new clientele permitted the hotel to continue business.
In 1939 the hotel was once more requisitioned not by the military authorities but by the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
divisional offices in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. In 1940 the hotel falls into the hands of the Germans and in 1941, the hotel manager, worried for his wine collection, sold his most prized bottles. After the war, the hotel tried to continue business but had to close. A short lived hotel opened in a portion of the Grand Hôtel building. The building is now divided into apartments.
Town hall
It was not until 1865 that the decision to build a town hall was made. The decision was made during a council meeting and also decided the construction of a boys school and part funding for a new church. Until then, the small municipal archives were kept by the mayor in office. At least some council meetings were held in some of the mayors' homes. When deciding to build a town hall it was stipulated that one room should be used exclusively by a library. Once built, two rooms houses the post office for letters and telegraphs (which were relayed to the semaphore on top of the Butte de Houlgate). A superb mahoganyMahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
desk was donated to the commune in 1875 and was once used by the council as a meeting table; it is now the mayor's desk. In 1880 was created a permanent post office organisation and it moved to its own premises in 1895. The town hall was modified several times such as the building of a village hall. In June 1897, the municipal council voted to cover the walls of the village hall and to buy 150 chairs at a cost of 5.60₣
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
each. In 1980 the offices were extended, the council meeting room was extended, the vicarage was converted into a tourist office and its garden transformed into an open square.
Kursaal
During the 1870s a casino and baths called the Kursaal was built in Beuzeval-lès-Bains. It was built of wood on stiltsPiloti
Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood and in elevated houses such as Old Queenslanders in Australia's...
and was situated between the William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
column and the PN83 level crossing. This complex of buildings, all in wooden planks, was built to carry two functions, a casino and baths as well as an entertainment centre for tourists. It was named the Kursaal, a word of Germanic origin, often translated in French and English as casino. Unlike Houlgate casino, there were gambling tables. It contained warm baths and a guarded beach but never succeeded in becoming a bona-fide casino. The Kursall was demolished by the Germans in 1941.
Hôtel Imbert
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
's 3rd corp and used as a temporary military hospital. In 1928, the hotel was enlarged by the construction of a new level in the building's attic. Between 1939 and 1940 the hotel was once more used by the French army as a military hospital then occupied by the Germans. After the liberation, the hotel's owners, the Laout family tried to re-open it. They refurbished bedrooms in groups of ten and opened a restaurant. Their efforts were hampered in 1956 when they closed the hotel. Like many other hotels in Houlgate, it was divided into flats.
Politics and urban regeneration
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. He/She along with the municipal council has power over the municipal budget and hands out building permits.
The council also has the power to create municipal acts. As such Houlgate currently has a no dog fouling policy act that is not applicable at low tide when dog owners are allowed to walk their dogs on the beach.
The council also allocates funds and pays the Direction Départementale de l'Equipment (D.D.E.) for the maintenance of council streets. Indeed since the modernising of the town's streets the council has started to embellish the town by installing flower pots on most lamp posts as well as marble paving. This project started in late 1989 with the creation of a roundabout in front of the town hall. This new plaza features a fountain volcano.
During the mid-90s the council rebuilt the Rue du Général Leclerc
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
and installed a one way system across the town centre.
The last road work project was the rebuilding of the Rue des Bains in late 2004.
With the increase of the communal population during summer time, much of the commune's two water reservoirs are in great demand. In mid-July the council usually makes the decision to ban the unnecessary use of tap water.
An underground water basin was recently built along the Promenade Roland Garros preventing used water flowing into the English Channel.http://www.ouest-france.fr Retrieved 20 May 2009 The project affects the three coastal communes of the Estuaire de la Dives Communité de Communes and aims to increase the English Channel's water quality.
Economy
Casino
Situated on Houlgate's seafront, the casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
is the main establishment. Houlgate has seen two casino buildings on the site in front of the Grand Hôtel and added to the luxurious surroundings of the hotel. The first casino was built in 1860. It was a wooden construction covered in sheets of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. It was rented to the company owner of the Grand Hôtel and managed by a François Blanc
François Blanc
François Blanc , nicknamed "The Magician of Homburg" and "The Magician of Monte Carlo", was a French entrepreneur and operator of casinos, including the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco.-References:*...
, former manager of the casino of Monaco
Monte Carlo Casino
The Monte Carlo Casino is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It includes a casino, the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo, and the office of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo....
. It had several rooms for shows, games of luck, reading and French billiard. It existed until 1906.
The current casino was opened in 1907 and its looks have not changed much since its construction. Only the balustrade and iron lamp posts have disappeared. Built with tourism in mind, it offered concerts, balls, fêtes and other shows, welcoming theatre companies and at one had its own permanent company. The casino also had a round room for ladies and organised fayres for children.
The casino has American-style fruit/slot machines (as opposed to the British bandit), a boule table, a colonial-style bar, the Pondichéry restaurant and a sea side bar. The casino's nightclub 'Le Manhattan' closed in the early 1990s and the restaurant opened in the former club's room. The sea side bar sees many live performances throughout the summer season. The building also has a 150 seat cinema.
Shopping
The town has two small supermarkets (Proxy Market and 8 à huit) and a range of typical shops such as butcher, baker, fishmonger, and newsagent. The town has an indoor market, open Thursdays and Saturdays off season and every day during the summer. Many local shop keepers have a stall in the market. Due to the proximity of the fishing fleet at Dives-sur-Mer
Dives-sur-Mer
-Transport:Dives-sur-Mer is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station is open, train services operate year round at weekends as well as on week days during the summer season. Dives is also on line #20 of the Calvados bus company Bus Verts du Calvados....
, fishmongers and market stall keepers sell fresh sea food, usually harvested in the early morning (depending on the tide).
Industry
Because the town was built for the purpose of tourism, Houlgate is not particularly known for its industry, nevertheless on the 18th of March 1852 the Patrelle Company was founded, specialising in aroma. Stews, sweets and ice creams are made around the world using Patrelle products.
Notable people
- Émile DeschanelÉmile DeschanelÉmile Auguste Étienne Martin Deschanel was a French author and politician, the father of Paul Deschanel, the 11th President of the French Republic....
, writer and important politician. - André MauroisAndré MauroisAndré Maurois, born Emile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog was a French author.-Life:Maurois was born in Elbeuf and educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen, both in Normandy. Maurois was the son of Ernest Herzog, a Jewish textile manufacturer, and Alice Herzog...
(Emile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog), famous writer of his time. - Émile ZolaÉmile ZolaÉmile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
, famous writer. - Marcel ProustMarcel ProustValentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
, writer, used to go to the Lerossignol fleurist. - William Taft, president of the United States (1908–1918).
- Cecile, Grand Duchess of Hesse
- Queen Victoria.
- Isabelle IIIsabella II of SpainIsabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
, Queen of Spain. - Alexandra Fyodorovna, wife to Nikolai II, empress of Russia.
- Roland Garros, famous aviator, who broke the altitude flying record on Houlgate beach.
- Claude DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, famous musician. - BréguetLouis Charles BreguetLouis Charles Breguet was a French aircraft designer and builder, one of the early aviation pioneers.- Biography :...
, aircraft builder, who owned a villa in Houlgate. - Auguste and Louis LumièreAuguste and Louis LumièreThe Lumière brothers, Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas and Louis Jean , were among the earliest filmmakers in history...
, inventors of the moving cinema, who owned a villa in Houlgate.