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Dieppe
Overview
Dieppe is a town in Normandy on the north coast of France, approximately opposite Brighton on the English coast. Dieppe has a long and interesting history, having been an important port linking William the Conqueror's En
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Source
WBP almanac
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From Wikipedia2,947 words
WBP editorial3
A port town’s rhythm beyond the tide tables
Dieppe’s maritime schedule shapes daily life more than any tourist brochure suggests. While the ferry to Newhaven departs at set hours, the town’s harbour is a hive of fishing crews that return at dawn with the day’s catch, especially scallops that fuel local taverns. Early‑morning markets at Place Mouchotte are less polished than city squares, offering a glimpse of the working class rhythm that has defined Dieppe since medieval times. If you linger after the main tourist rush, you’ll hear the harbourmasters’ banter in Norman‑tinged French, learn the unspoken hierarchy between cargo, passenger, and pleasure vessels, and appreciate how the sea’s pulse dictates shop openings, café hours and even the timing of the town’s occasional street festivals.
Neighbourhood walks that bypass the usual postcard
Beyond the castle and the pebbled beach, Dieppe’s residential quarters tell a subtler story. The Rue du Sart, a steep, narrow lane flanked by modest 19th‑century houses, leads to the old washhouse where locals once fetched river water. Here, street art subtly references the 1942 raid, blending history with contemporary expression. A short stroll up to the former railway viaduct offers a panoramic view of the Arques estuary, framing the town against the distant chalk cliffs of the Alabaster Coast. These routes are marked by quiet cafés serving coffee brewed from locally roasted beans, and bakeries whose croissants have a faint hint of sea‑salt butter—a sensory reminder that Dieppe’s identity is as much about its everyday streets as its landmark monuments.