First a Roman port, the bay of Barfleur was chosen by the Vikings in the 4th century for its proximity to the English coasts. During the Middle Ages, it became the first Anglo-Norman port erected by William the Conqueror. In the 18th century, houses were added along Rue Saint-Thomas and Rue Saint-Nicolas when the port was only the estuary of the Planque and the Bretonne rivers. A dyke was also built north of the church. The eastern part of Barfleur developed from 1838, while a 456 ft (200 m) quay was built north of the Kracko lighthouse between 1842 and 1849. The 1,312 ft (400 m) quay behind Rue Saint-Nicolas completed the whole in 1875.