Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue was awarded "2 flowers" by the concours des villes et villages fleuris contest [ 5 ] and the town was elected "favourite French village " in a television programme broadcast on France 3 in Saint-Vaast is the Norman name of Saint Vedast and Hougue is a Norman language word meaning a "mound" or "loaf" and comes from the Old Norse word haugr. The town is crossed by the Saire. The island of Tatihou is located about 1 kilometre 0.
It is usually reached by amphibious craft although, being a tidal island , it is also possible to walk there over at low tide. Just like the large trawlers moored at the port, the oyster beds visible at low tide between Tatihou and the coast testify to the predominance of maritime activity in Saint-Vaast, which is the oldest oyster basin in Normandy.
Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is one of French municipalities identified as seriously threatened by rising water levels, [ 10 ] due to global warming. Bigot demonstrated the ancient occupation of Saint-Vaast with the discovery of a flint tool at La Hougue. The village, before being called Saint-Vaast, only included a few homes built around a church near to what would later be called Porte-aux-dames.
The Anglo-Saxon invasion failed thanks to the efforts of Saint-Sauveur who defeated the invaders at the battle of Val-de-Saire. For him, it was just a pillaging raid in retaliation for Viking expeditions in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
While they were going towards what would become Quettehou , the bishops had to cross La Bonde on a wooden plank which gave way to the passage of Saint Vaast. La Bonde still serves as a boundary between the two parishes.
