Perched on a rocky islet in the midst ofvastsandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy andBrittanystand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style Benedictineabbeydedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village thatgrew upin the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and16thcenturies, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour deforce,having had to adapt to the problems posed by this uniquenaturalsite.