Barfleur | |
|---|---|
 Barfleur harbour | |
 Location of Barfleur | |
Barfleur Barfleur | |
| Coordinates: 49°40′16″N 1°15′48″W / 49.6711°N 1.2633°W / 49.6711; -1.2633 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Manche |
| Arrondissement | Cherbourg |
| Canton | Val-de-Saire |
| Intercommunality | CA Cotentin |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2024–2026) | Christiane Tincelin1 |
Area 1 | 0.6 km2 (0.23 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)2 | 542 |
| • Density | 900/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 50030 /50760 |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Barfleur (French pronunciation: [baʁflœʁ]) is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association.
History
During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England.3
- 1066: A large medallion fixed to a rock in the harbour marks the Normans' departure from Barfleur before the battle of Hastings.
- 1120: The White Ship, carrying the sole legitimate heir to Henry I of England, William Adelin, went down approximately a mile northeast of the harbour,4 setting the stage for the period of civil war in England known as the Anarchy.3
- 1194: Richard I of England departed from Barfleur on return to England following his captivity by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1692: Action at Barfleur, part of the battles of Barfleur and La Hougue
- 1944: Barfleur was occupied by the Germans during WWII. As allied forces approached following the D-Day invasion, the German commander evacuated the city prior to any confrontation to ensure that it would not be damaged, as he liked the city so much.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 837 | — |
| 1975 | 703 | −2.46% |
| 1982 | 619 | −1.80% |
| 1990 | 599 | −0.41% |
| 1999 | 642 | +0.77% |
| 2009 | 648 | +0.09% |
| 2014 | 600 | −1.53% |
| 2020 | 553 | −1.35% |
| Source: INSEE5 | ||
Geography
The commune is close to the northeastern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula. About two miles (3.2 km) to the north is Cape Barfleur, with a lighthouse 233 feet (71 m) high.3 It is twinned with Lyme Regis in the UK. A Brittany Ferries vessel is named after the village and operates from nearby Cherbourg-Octeville to Poole in the UK.
Barfleur is very close to being the exact antipode of New Zealand's Antipodes Islands.
References
References
- "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 12 March 2025.
- "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Barfleur". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- The submerged rock was probably the Quillebœuf Rock.
- Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE