Tour de Tatihou

History and description

The tour de Tatihou was constructed in 1694 on the île de Tatihou (isle of Tatihou), at the same time as the tour de La Hougue, during the war of the League of Augsbourg. It was intended to protect the roadstead of Saint-Vaast, which had come under attack following a French naval defeat in June 1692. The construction got underway on 11 June 1694. The engineer De Combes applied the plans of Vauban. It was a tapered truncated tower, 26 metres in diameter at its base, with walls 3.60 metres thick and a contrasting stair turret with a height of 27 metres. The storeys were vaulted, equipped with cannon embrasures and the summit was an artillery platform with cannon battlements. The stair turret was also covered in a hemispherical crown. The basement housed a cistern, food shops and a powder keg. To protect the entrance of the tower, a false rampart preceded by a dry moat and crossable by drawbridge completed the installation. The gate was equipped with shooting battlements and a deadfall. At a distance of 3 kilometres from the tour de La Hougue constructed at the same time, La Hougue could provide crossfire with the latter and prevent any attempts to moor ships. The only difference with La Hougue was the fact that the tour de Tatihou was designed to shelter large artillery (La Hougue could only accommodate small cannons).
In the 18th-19th centuries, the tower was surrounded by a bastioned rampart, including a bastion and two demi-bastions, on the flank facing the isle. This defensive wall was preceded by a flooded moat.