Fort Nieulay, Calais, France

Fort Nieulay, located along the Avenue Pierre Coubertin, was originally dated to the 12th or 13th century. During the English invasion in 1346, sluices gates were added as water defences and a fort was built up around it in 1525 on the principle that the people of the fort could defend the town by flooding it. In April and May 1677, Louis XIV and Vauban visited Calais and ordered a complete rebuilding of Fort Nieulay. It was completed in 1679, with the purpose to protect the bridge of Nieulay crossing the Hames River. By 1815 the fort had fallen into a ruined state and it wasn't until 1903 that it was sold and improved by its farmer tenants. The fort was briefly the site of a low-key scuffle with Germans in May 1940.

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Castles and fortifications in France

User Reviews

Jacques Déprez (5 years ago)
Site peu connu mais vraiment sympa pour une balade. A faire en visite guidée (pas cher) à la belle saison, vous ne le regretterez pas.

Jeremy Robbe (5 years ago)
Très bien il y a auchan entre le fort nieulay et coquelle

Hélène Diebold (5 years ago)
Sympa pour se dégourdir les jambes et promener les chiens

Bassel Marhaba (6 years ago)
Nice place to visit

Matthias Hartmann (6 years ago)
Unfortunately during winter closed and green space around full of dirt and is used for dog toilet.

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