The English Channel or La Manche!
Whether known as the channel, le manche, the sleeve or the sliver sea this strip of water is intrinsically linked to the history of both England and France. It is a natural barrier which serves to separate us from the rest of Europe, not only physically but also culturally as summed up by the bard himself.
“This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands.”
- William Shakespeare, Richard II (Act II, Scene 2)
We’ve compiled some amazing facts and figures about this often underappreciated strip of water which you can amaze your friends with at the pub or simply use on your next ferry crossing to impress fellow passengers.
- It is actually part of the Atlantic Ocean.
- It is 560km long and 240km wide at the widest point.
- The narrowest part is from Dover to Cap Gris Nez which is known as the straight of Dover. This part is 34km.
- In Roman times it was known as ‘Oceanus Britannicus’ and later known as the ‘British Sea’.
- The stretch from Dover to Calais is the shallowest at an average of 45 metres.
- The average depth is 120 metres.
- Brighton is the largest city / town on the channel with 461,181 inhabitants.
- The French town of Berck is the smallest with 20,113 inhabitants.
- Matthew Webb was the first known person to swim the channel on 25th August 1975.
- The fastest ever verified swim was in 2005 by Christof Wandratsch who completed it in 7 hours, 3 minutes and 52 seconds.
- Alison Streeter MBE is the swimming ‘Queen of The Channel’ with 43 crossings to date.
- Recent celebrities to successfully swim the channel include David Walliams and Doon Mackichan.
- The channel is the busiest seaway in the world.
Please Note - All Prices Quoted Are Correct at Time of Posting
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