Ault, Somme
Ault is a commune. It is in the Hauts-de-France region in the Somme department in the north of France.
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Ault | |
| |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Picardy |
| Department | Somme |
| Arrondissement | Abbeville |
| Canton | Ault |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes Interrégionale du Gros Jacques |
| Mayor | Marthe Sueur (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–107 m (0–351 ft) (avg. 86 m/282 ft) |
| Land area1 | 5.99 km2 (2.31 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 1,941 (2006) |
| - Density | 324/km2 (840/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 80039/ 80460 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Ault is on the English Channel, 20 miles (32 km) west of Abbeville. It has chalk cliffs and a beach of pebbles and sand at low tide. South of the town is a large wooded valley, the ‘Bois de Cise. North of the town the cliffs become smaller, to the level of the beach at Onival. The area around the town, the 'hâble d’Ault' was mostly tidal marshland. This has been reclaimed from the sea and is used for farming cattle and sheep.
Railways
Ault had a station on the standard gauge Woincourt to Onival line. The line closed to passengers in May 1939, but was used during World War II to move materials for the Atlantic Wall. During the war, a metre gauge line was built at the side of the road from Lanchères, on the CFBS, to Ault. This line was removed after the war.[1]
Places of interest
- The 15th century church of Saint-Pierre,
- The war memorial, designed by Paul Landowski.
- Two chapels, at Onival and Bois de Cise dating from the 19th century.
- Several ancient village houses.
- The lighthouse, 106 metres above sea-level.
- The cliffs
- The beaches of Ault and Bois de Cise..
- The ‘hâble d'Ault’, with walking tracks.
Sea defences
The sea is washing away the beach, cliffs and public spaces including car parks and gardens. To protect the coast, a "balcony on the sea", a huge concrete construction has been built, However, there are signs of wear on the dyke under the casino.
References
- ↑ Pacey, Philip (2000). Railways of the Baie de Somme. The Oakwood Press (Usk). p. 87. ISBN 0-85361-554-3.