The fortress of Mimoyecques is a site combining history, biodiversity and geology. Carved into a Cretaceous chalk hillside, this structure illustrates the power of the natural forces that have shaped the landscape.
The fortress of Mimoyecques is a site combining history, biodiversity and geology. Carved into a Cretaceous chalk hillside, this structure illustrates the power of the natural forces that have shaped the landscape. A former German missile launch base during the Second World War, it reveals a rich military past.
Today, a museum tour allows you to explore this fortress, which is also home to colonies of bats in its chalk caves. This site is a testament to the interplay between human history and nature, offering visitors a glimpse into the biodiversity that thrives in these spaces. In short, Mimoyecques is a place where geology, biodiversity and historical heritage meet, creating an enriching experience for all.
The 'Big Bang'
13.8 billion years ago
Earth formed
4.6 billion years ago
540 million years ago
The Cambrian explosion of life: animals evolved and diversified as never before on Earth.
Devonian
419 million years ago
390 million years ago the oldest rocks you can see in the Geopark date back to the Middle Devonian. They are still quarried today in the Marquise basin in France.
Carboniferous
359 million years ago
Around 325 million years ago the Geopark was near the equator. The swamp forests from that period are preserved as coal, which was formerly mined in the Marquise basin in France as well as in East Kent and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Permian
299 million years ago
Triassic
252 million years ago
210 million years ago the Geopark was in the centre of the Pangaea supercontinent, and dinosaurs roamed the land!
Jurassic
201 million years ago
150 million years ago the Geopark was submerged under the sea, the sands, clays, limestones, and sandstones that compose the Boulonnais region in France were deposited.
Cretaceous
145 million years ago
Over about 40 million years from 100-60 million years ago, Chalk formed at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea where the Geopark is located today. This was the first step towards the formation of our distinctive chalk landscape, which defines much of the Geopark.
Palaeogene
66 million years ago
Tectonic activity around 40 million years ago uplifted the territory of the Geopark by dozens of metres, creating an extensive chalk landscape that connected France and Great Britain.
Neogene
23 million years ago
Quaternary
2.6 million years ago
450,000 years ago, a megaflood destroyed the chalk ridge connecting Calais and Dover, creating the iconic white cliffs of the Geopark we see today
