Barneville-Carteret


Barneville-Carteret is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region of north-western France. For many years it has been a popular seaside resort destination.
The commune resulted from a merger of two communes in 1964: Barneville-sur-Mer and Carteret whose port has ferry connections to the Channel Islands.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Barnevillais or Barnevillaises and Carteretais or Carteretaises.

Geography

Barneville-Carteret is located on the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula some 40 km south by south-west of Cherbourg and 10 km north of Portbail. Access to the commune is by highway D650 from Les Moitiers-d'Allonne to the north which passes through the north of the commune and continues south-east following the coast to Le Pont de La Roque. The commune is both a seaside resort and a port.

Port of Carteret

The Port of Carteret is the present port of Barneville-Carteret. Sometimes called a "port of the isles", it is located on the right bank of the mouth of the Gerfleur River, at the end of Cape Carteret. A rescue station was built in 1865. The large pier and south mole were completed in 1880. In the following year a ferry began service to Jersey. The small port was used as a shelter for fishermen during spring tide, In 1945 the port was enlarged with the help of combat engineers from the American 280th Battalion stationed in Carteret.

Barneville

Built on a hill and dating to the Middle Ages, Barneville is built around the church of Saint Germanus of Auxerre. Its architecture is Romanesque, and it was fortified during the Middle Ages for coastal surveillance. The main shops and services of the area are here and there is a market on Saturday. In the street below the town the remains of medieval walls that protected the city and seaside can be visited with a view of Cartaret harbour, the sea, and the Channel Islands.

Barneville Beach

Barneville Beach is a residential area consisting primarily of campsites and vacation homes. The city is quiet out of season but experiences heavy traffic during the summer. The resort area spreads into the neighbouring town of Saint-Jean-de-la-Rivière, which was built on an ancient sand dune.

The Village des Rivières

Like the Village du Tôt, this village is a small hamlet located on the road that leads to the mouth of the Gerfleur from the town of Saint-Jean-de-la-Rivière.
Built on the edge of the harbour, it was once home to fishermen who moored their boats close to their homes. Carteret harbour allowed them a safe anchorage without the need to build a port.
The village straddles the communes of Barneville-Carteret to the northwest and that of Saint-Jean-de-la-Rivière to the south-east.

Geology and Relief

The Cap de Carteret is located at the end of the Armorican Massif and retains traces of the formation with Precambrian deformed granites and metamorphic schist, Cambrian folded arkose from the Variscan orogeny, and shale and armoricain sandstone from the Ordovician period.
From Barneville to Saint-Jean-de-la-Rivière the coast is lined with sand dunes backed by tidal marshes.

Hydrography

The commune is bordered by the sea. The construction of the port in the 19th century was accompanied by the diversion of the Gerfleur river whose mouth was located at the current port.

Climate

The town has a temperate ocean climate with an average humidity of 84 percent. Its location on the coast results in a strong sea breeze and frequent storms. There are significant seasonal variations in temperature and rare days of frost. The combined effects of wind and tides cause rapid weather changes: in the course of a day, sun and rain can follow one another within a few hours. The influence of the Gulf Stream and the mild winters allow the growing of Mediterranean and exotic plants such as mimosas, palms and agave. Average humidity is 84.42% which varies only by about 2-3% throughout the year.

Communication and transport

Maritime links

The commune is served all year by two services operated by Manéo:
An extra service is provided in summer:
In festival periods on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, it is possible to go from Portbail to the centre of Carteret on the Train touristique du Cotentin.
The nearest main railway is 29 km away at Valognes which is served by the SNCF Mantes-la-Jolie–Cherbourg railway

Toponymy

Barneville: The "ville de Barni" after the name of a Scandinavian person.
Carteret: From the Scandinavian Kart and the Scandinavian Reidh meaning "anchorage".

History

Barneville appears as Carteret on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version.
Carteret appears as Carteret on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version.

Ancient Families

The famed de Carteret family of the Norman nobility played powerful roles in English history. They held many possessions on the continent, the Channel Islands, and later, in the American colony. Their surname stems from Carteret, the stony anchorage site in Normandy. Guy de Carteret, a.k.a. "The Fowler", was the first Lord of the Barony of Carteret in Normandy for which there is record. They also held the lordship of St. Ouen on the Isle of Jersey. Family members assisted William the Conqueror at Hastings and took part in the Crusades alongside Robert, son of the duke of Normandy. "Three times has the Island of Jersey been rescued by the valor and sagacity of members of this family from the dominion of the French, events of unequaled importance in its history...."
In the village of Barneville, behind the church, is the remains of a Motte-and-bailey castle which was transformed into a calvary that was called. called Mallet's Mound after the Mallet family of Carteret and Barneville mentioned in 1066. The square church tower from the 15th century has a parapet over a blind arcade which was besieged by the English in September 1499.

Modern era

Barneville and Carteret evolved into resorts during the Belle Époque when seaside holidays came into vogue.

Second World War

After the invasion of June 1940 the communes of Carteret and Barneville-sur-Mer became important sites in the Atlantic Wall. The fortifications of Barneville-sur-mer, Hatainville, Beaubigny and Carteret bore the codes "Wn 329", "Wn 326", "Wn 325", "Wn324d" and "R 612". Most fortifications are still visible except at Baubigny where it was totally buried in the sand.
On 18 June 1944 an armoured column of the 69th regiment of the 9th US Infantry Division entered Barneville and, after ten days of fighting, the town was liberated. The US military remained in Barneville and Carteret until autumn 1945. At Graffard mansion there were performances of the "Can-can" for the US soldiers. It was also the headquarters of the famed British 30 Assault Unit until July.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
19832001Raymond Leterrier
20012008Claude DupontTeacher
20082014Jean Luc BoussardLawyer
20142020Pierre GéhanneCompany Director

The Municipal council is made up of 19 members including a Mayor and 5 deputies.

Twinning

Barneville-Carteret has twinning associations with:
In 2010 the commune had 2283 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.

Amenities

Education

The commune has a primary school – Le Clos des Sources under the Academy of Caen.

Festivals

The Athletic Union Côte des Isles has a soccer team in the Basse-Normandie League and one in the District Division.

Films

Barneville-Carteret has featured in the following films:

Tourism

Located facing the Channel Islands.
There are 1578 second homes, a hotel capacity of 151 rooms and 600 campsites. The summer population is estimated at 12000.
Tourists are attracted by, among others, the marina. Fishing activity is important and diversified in the fishing port: fish, but mostly crustaceans. There are numerous activities: swimming and water sports, angling with a Blue Flag for environmental quality and since 2013 as a "FamilyPlus" Beach. The town's seaside resort has been classified as a "Tourist Commune" since 1921.
Together with Portbail and Denneville, Barneville-Carteret is part of the Coast of the Isles.

Local Culture and Heritage

Carteret is linked to Portbail by the Train touristique du Cotentin during the season. There is also a railway station in Barneville located between the town and the harbour bridge.

Shellfish

Barneville Beach and the foreshore of Cape Carteret at low tide are ideal places for recreational fishing. The popular and famous species in this area are:
The commune has several buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:
A Railway Carriage called "Bruhat" No. BB44586 is registered as an historical object.

Religious heritage

The Church contains two items that are registered as historical objects: