The remains of the Mulberry harbour sections around Asnelles and Arromanches are easily spotted on the beach and out in the bay between the two towns at low tide, and some parts can even be accessed up close.
But there are also some hidden parts of the original harbour that are rarely visited.
In between the two towns is the small village of Saint-Come-de-Fresne – itself home to two powerful gun casemates – where you can see a small outcrop of rubble at the base of the cliff on the beach. This spot is actually an area where you can find and explore over half a dozen ‘beetles’ which were key components to ensuring the Harbour’s roadways would float and allow Allied forces to land millions of tons of war materiel and troops from ships anchored in the deeper waters off the beach.
On the beach at Asnelles itself you can see the huge concrete caissons which acted as breakwaters on the edge of the harbour. These massive concrete constructions were built in England and towed across the English Channel before they were sunk at strategic positions around the two Normandy towns to form their protective barrier. An amazing piece of British engineering which helped turn the tide of the war.