Mulberry Harbour (Port Winston)
About Mulberry Harbour (Port Winston)
The Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches is an outdoor historic site featuring the remains of an artificial harbor built during WWII for the D-Day invasion. Massive concrete caissons still rise from the sea off Gold Beach, forming the remnants of Mulberry B (Port Winston), a prefabricated port that was towed across the English Channel and assembled in just 12 days after June 6, 1944. Over 10 months of operation, this temporary port unloaded 4 million tonnes of supplies, 500,000 vehicles, and landed 2.5 million soldiers supporting the Allied liberation of Europe. The harbor was named after Winston Churchill, who championed floating harbors since 1917. Today, 96 Phoenix caissons remain in the water, best viewed at low tide when visitors can walk out on the beach for a closer look. The cliff viewpoint near Arromanches 360 Cinema offers the best panoramic view of the entire harbor layout. This free outdoor site is accessible 24 hours a day, representing one of the most significant surviving examples of WWII military engineering.
Interesting Facts
A violent storm from June 19-22, 1944, with Force 6-9 winds, completely destroyed the American Mulberry A at Omaha Beach. The British Mulberry B at Arromanches survived but was damaged. Parts salvaged from the wrecked American harbour were used to repair Port Winston, and the Allies decided to concentrate all efforts on this single surviving port.
The Phoenix caissons were designed to float despite being made of solid concrete. Each hollow caisson weighing 2,000 to 7,700 tons had special valves that could be opened to let seawater in, causing them to sink into position. At their operational peak, the harbour unloaded one vehicle every 1 minute and 16 seconds.
A 2015 scientific survey found that only 11 of the 96 remaining caissons are in good condition, with 67 already in a state of ruin. Without preservation intervention, projections indicate no caissons will remain intact by 2075, making this likely the last century to witness these historic structures.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
Beach, 14117 Arromanches-les-Bains, Calvados, Normandy, France
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