Lac de Tanchet was originally a simple drinking water reservoir on the seafront.
It was the result of an ambitious project by the architect Alphonse Guérit to supply the town with drinking water.With the development of the seaside resort in the 19th century, a solution had to be found to store fresh water to meet the growing demand for water during the summer months, when holidaymakers frequented the resort.
Alphonse Guérit designed a dam in the valley of the Tanchet stream, which rises in the commune of Sainte-Foy, and built a reservoir on the site where the stream empties into the ocean, away from the town.
This first water service was inaugurated on 29 July 1877. The reservoir was abandoned when new Poiroux-Finfarine facilities were installed in the early 1940s. It was later transformed into a leisure centre when the sailing school, now Institut Sports Océan, opened its doors in 1966.
Today, Lac de Tanchet covers 8 hectares and is between 2.5 and 3 metres deep! It's still a popular place to try out water sports, go freshwater fishing and go for walks along its shores.
Born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, she developed a passion for history and heritage at an early age.
Passionate about architecture, she has set up a number of guided tours designed to showcase the local heritage, always seeking to link the built and the human.
