Ault, Somme

Ault is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Geography

Situated on the English Channel, on the D19 road, west of Abbeville, in the southwest of the department, Ault possesses chalk cliffs overlooking a beach of pebbles. To the south of the town is a large wooded area, the ‘Bois de Cise’, in a valley that leads on to the coast. To the north, the cliffs descend to the level of the beach at Onival. The area around the town, the 'hâble d’Ault' was mostly tidal marshland that has been reclaimed from the sea. Cattle, sheep and game are raised here.

Railways

Ault had a station on the standard gauge Woincourt to Onival line, which closed to passengers in May 1939, but saw much use during World War II to move materials for the Atlantic Wall. During the war, a metre gauge line was laid alongside the road from Lanchères, on the CFBS, to Ault. This line was dismantled after the war.

Places of interest

The 15th / sixteenth century church of Saint-Pierre,
The war memorial, designed by Paul Landowski.
Two chapels, at Onival and Bois de Cise dating from the nineteenth century.
Several ancient village houses.
The lighthouse, with its lantern over 106 metres above sea-level.
The cliffs
The beaches of Ault and Bois de Cise..
The ‘hâble d'Ault', with signed pathways.

Sea defences

The town has paid a heavy price defending itself against the sea, which is constantly washing away the beach, cliffs and public spaces, such as the car parks and gardens. The problem is ongoing. A "balcony on the sea", a huge concrete construction has been built but the risks remain. Signs of wear of the dyke under the casino have been noted.