Cap Blanc-Ne, beach at night. by Fotograaf Gisela

About "Cap Blanc-Ne, beach at night."

by Fotograaf Gisela

About the artwork

Cap Blanc-Nez (or Cape Blankenes, formerly known as Blankenesse, meaning "white nes" a nes is a headland) is a picturesque promontory on the English Channel, located near the French town of Escalles in the Pas-de-Calais department. With its peak at 134 metres above sea level, the Obelisk of Cap Blanc-Nez flaunts here.

Located 16 kilometres northeast of Cap Gris-Nez, the cape can be reached on foot or by car. A footpath runs from the top of the promontory all the way to the beach.
Place names in this area often have a link to Middle Dutch. The cape got its French name between the 15th and 17th centuries. Writings from the 16th century also use the name "Blackenest", where "black" refers to the old Dutch word "blanka", meaning "helder" or "blank". "nest" refers to "nessa", which means "protruding piece of land in water".
In addition, the promontory used to be called "Cales Cliff" when the area was still under English rule.

Interestingly, the name of the nearby municipality of Escalles is of Saxon or Old Norse origin. In Old Norse, "skali" means hut, which could refer to a refuge for Norsemen during their raids. If it is of Saxon origin ("scale" denotes a temporary residence), the name could point to the migration of Saxons to England in the 5th and 6th centuries.
The cape is a true paradise for lovers of chalk fossils, with finds including bivalves, ammonites, brachiopods, sponges, sea urchins and many other species. The chalk of Cap Blanc-Nez dates from the Cretaceous period, with layers from the Albian, Cenomanian and Turonian.