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Boulogne-sur-Mer siege anniversary July through Sept

Posted by (northern CA) on

On the English channel between Calais and Normandy, the fishing village of Boulogne-sur-Mer has an anniversary today (July 19) from 1544, when Henry VIII besieged it in person.

Henry had entered a brief pact with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V against the French, and his English forces in Calais headed over to Boulogne and quickly took the town over, but the French in the castle held out until mid-September when English tunnel diggers undermined their position.

When Charles V subsequently entered into a peace deal with France, and the English were busy with rebels closer by, the area there on the channel coast became a bit of a quagmire -- the French couldn't push the English out completely, but the English couldn't really keep a secure foothold.

Nowadays the area is good for fishing herring (aka kippers) and tourists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieges_of_Boulogne_(1544–46)

Posted by
14003 posts

Oh, that's interesting! I never get all the back and forthing across the channel straight! Cornwall to Brittany. Normandy to Hastings. Etc!

Thanks for the tidbit!

Posted by
1986 posts

Avirosemail – With interest in history you can find worthwhile places off the beaten path. The historic centre of Boulogne is nice but not so much outstanding, however still having it medieval walls I liked visiting it a few years ago. Like to add that Boulogne-sur-Mere has an interesting history and played already an important role even before Roman times as a port for sailing to England on the route Cologne to London.

Posted by
2472 posts

Yes, of course, Wil -- the Kolners had to go to London by way of Boulogne-sur-Mer because the airports had been taken by the Continental Army.

/s

Posted by
1986 posts

Funny – Even then there was trouble at both sides of the English Channel and all travelbirds had to be grounded :).

Posted by
8889 posts

I would hardly call Boulogne-sur-Mer a "fishing village". It is a large town (population 42,000).
It has a walled old town, on a hill above the harbour. Worth a visit.

Together with Calais it was one of the two major cross-channel ferry ports, until the Channel Tunnel was built and the ferries "downsized" to serving the Dover-Calais route only.
Many Brits of the older generation would have driven through Boulogne (including me), after getting off a ferry. Not many stopped, they mostly were heading to points further south.

Posted by
14542 posts

Yes,employing the same old strategy by presenting les français with a two front war, ie the English on side , the Habsburgs on the other.

In 1914 Bourlogne-sur-Mer was the site of British Exp. Force's arrival to take their position on the Anglo-French left wing against the Germans.

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