Port of Bloscon-Roscoff

Roscoff is a town situated on the north coast of Finistere, Brittany. Its favorable position at the western end of the channel along with the efforts of the economic administrators have allowed the port to survive and develop itself within the different fields surrounding the sea. Amongst the 13 main Breton ports, Roscoff is one of the largest commercial harbours on the list.

port of Bloscon-Roscoff

Roscoff has played an important role in the history of Brittany and France with a rich and diverse past. Whether it be in the defence of the region, the transport of local produce or fishing, the port seems to have always been involved.

Indeed, at the time when France and England were sworn enemies, Roscoff was host to bloody battles. It seems as though the area was at the time a strategic stretch of land to pass through, being a stone’s throw from England and the heart of local trading. The area along with the rest of Brittany coasts witnessed bloody naval battles such as in 1404, when a fleet of 30 ships fought against the English in the bay of Laber under the command of Jean du Penhoat. The outcome of these fierce battles varied, with both sides having succombed to great losses.

However, later on, the outlook towards the neighbouring countries changed dramatically. Eased tensions allowed business to take place more permissively. In fact, by 1828, Henri Ollivier, alias the “first Johnny”, made the crossing of the channel to sell onions for the first time. Today, their number is nowhere near as high as it once was. Nevertheless, the amount of “johnnies” has been recovering slightly in recent years thanks to a renewed interest. Some of the other products being conveyed were cauliflowers, potatoes and artichokes for cabotage, eggs, salted butter and some crustaceans.

By the end of the 19th century, there was a high demand for a pier to be constructed, the first mention of this dating back to 1882. Indeed, a major issue with the port at the time was the considerable range between high and low water. This would lead to a complete drying of the port. Finally, construction began in August 2012. For a number of reasons, the building of the jetty was only completely achieved by 1934-35 and sadly, too late. Roscoff missed out on the intense shipping traffic era and saw instead a period where exportation was at a low point.

On the other hand, fishing also represented a large chunk of the economy of the region. A diverse kind of fish and crustaceans were caught in local seas and either sold in the area or exported. Later on, another technique was thought of by Monsieur Chevalier. Once permission was granted in 1863, the captain established a pool with a maximum capacity of 80000 crustaceans in a small bay alongside the chapel of Saint Barbe.

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Wikipedia