The Bay of Bourgneuf (, ) is a bay situated on the French Atlantic coast, at the border of the

Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Louére-Atantique''; ; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', ) is a departments of France, department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. ...

and

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the bay was known as the ''baie de Bretagne'' or ''baye de Bretagne'' (Bay of Brittany or Brittany Bay). The bay of Bourgneuf is a vast maritime arc on the French Atlantic coast running from the Pointe Saint-Gildas (south of the Loire estuary) to Beauvoir-sur-Mer and is enclosed by the island of Noirmoutier up to the île du Pilier. It thus includes the south coast of the Pays de Retz, the shore of the Marais breton ('Breton Marshes') and the east coast of Noirmoutier, the latter being connected to the mainland by the notable Passage du Gois and, to the south, the bay connects to the north of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

by the Strait of Fromentine, crossed by the Noirmoutier Bridge since 1971. Until the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the bay extended over a far greater area. Its shores reached the ports of Machecoul and Challans and was dotted with several islands, notably the Isle of Bouin. Silting of the bed of the bay followed by the creation of the

polders A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains ...

and salt pans of the Marais Breton and Noirmoutier, significantly reducing the bay's area.

Climate

The isle of Noirmoutier encloses and shelters the bay and gives it a milder climate. It shares the relatively sunny exposure of the area south of the Loire. At Moutiers-en-Retz, July and August (22°C) are the warmest months and January (8°C) the coldest. Summers are relatively dry. In winter, snow is infrequent as are periods of intense cold. Overall, annual sunshine is high for the region (over 2300 hours per year like in Noirmoutier) including winter. Autumns are often wet due to coastal storms, even if sunny days remain frequent. A non official temperature of 48°C has been releved here in 18 July of 2022. The climate is submediterranean in the Gaussen climate classification having one dry month (''P < 2 × T''). According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, the climate is Mediterranean climate Csb.

History

The Marais breton in the bay, became a major salt producer in Brittany, France and Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. The bay bore witness to this activity, such as at the port of Collet, where ships from the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

came to load grey salt. The prosperity of the towns of the bay declined in the 18th century with the reduction of trade due to the silting that hampered production and the navigation of large vessels. Silting remains an ongoing issue, due mainly to alluvial sediments from the Loire to the north. Bourgneuf en Retz, Machecoul, Challans, Beauvoir-sur-Mer, were formerly sea ports on the shores of the Bay of Bourgneuf. The limit of the ancient shoreline can be discerned today as the line of demarcation between bocage and marshland, such as the Marais Poitevin. The 1799 Vendée earthquake, centred between Noirmouitier and Bouin in the south of the bay, estimated at force 6.5, caused widespread damage.

Smuggling

Under the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, this region was the centre of a significant smuggling operation operated by the ''coureurs de lune (moon runners)'' who trafficked illegal tobacco, salt, wines, liquour, and Indiennes, on foot, horseback or aboard three-masted lighters known as "chattes", constantly trying to evade capture by customs officers. This traffic was rife and directly or indirectly affected the whole population. Smuggling was principally operated from the isles of Bouin, Noirmoutier and île d'Yeu, exacerbated by the islands' tax-exempt status at the time.

Principal ports

* Pointe Saint-Gildas *

Pornic Pornic (; ''Pornizh'' in Breton, ''Port-Nitz'' in Gallo language, Gallo) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France. In 1973 the commune of Pornic absorbed the neighbouring munici ...

: ** Port de la Noëveillard ** Le Vieux-port * Moutiers-en-Retz : ** Port du Collet * Bouin : ** Port des Brochets ** Port des Champs ** Port du Bec * La Barre-de-Monts : ** Fromentine * Noirmoutier-en-l'Île ** Vieux port ** L'Herbaudière

Flora and fauna

According to

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

, the Marais Breton forms part of a larger geographic zone which also includes the Pays-de-Monts National Forest and the island of Noirmoutier. In 2017 this zone was rated 2, wetland zone of international importance under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

References

{{Reflist, 2 Landforms of Loire-Atlantique Landforms of Vendée Bays of the Atlantic Ocean Bays of Metropolitan France Ramsar sites in Metropolitan France

Climate

History

Smuggling

Principal ports

Flora and fauna

See also

Bibliography

Related articles

References