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Car park at the state school, Route de Plogastel.
(S/E) Leave the car park and head right towards the church, passing a crossroads (there’s a beautiful mural on the gable of a house). Turn left onto the concrete footpath that goes round the church and leads to the Place de l’Église. Take the street on the left.
Lesven path, signposted in yellow (regular markings and signposts)
Follow the road westwards, past the cemetery, and turn into the first path on the right which leads down towards a stream.
(1) Pass through a rustic gate (sign prohibiting bicycles and motorised vehicles). Follow this path, which climbs steadily, bordered on the left by stakes marking the boundary of a meadow.
When you reach a wooded area, cross a small stream via a plank and continue along the path, with a hill rising to your left. Pass through another gate, then cross another small stream and turn left to continue along the path between the meadows. This entire section of the route is not shown on any base maps
At the top, you’ll come across the same sign prohibiting bicycles and motorised vehicles; turn right and continue along the small road passing Pen ar Stang, which is marked on the map but not signposted on the ground. Follow this road as it bends first to the right and then to the left.
(2) At the signpost, turn onto the grassy path leading down to the right and follow it straight on. Further down, it is bordered on the left by a residential area. At the two ruined barns, turn left and join the main road. At the ‘give way’ sign, turn right, staying on the pavement on this side, and pass the small town hall.
(3) At the bar-restaurant-grocery shop, turn right towards the church, then enter the churchyard with its small wayside cross. Cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing and take Rue du Stade opposite. Note the attractive layout of the crossroads in this little village.
No signposting
Cross the road again at the designated crossing and continue along the pavement on the right, walking past the Léon Goraguer State School. Walk past the stadium on your left.
(4) Just after the ‘end of 30 zone’ sign, turn right into a lane to enter the Cité de Mestellen. Walk through it until you reach a Stop sign.
(5) Turn slightly to the right to continue, then turn left onto Rue du Stang, ignoring the sign for Kerjean further to the right. After about a hundred metres, turn onto a wide stony path which curves to the right. Follow this farm track, which descends steadily. It is bordered on the left by an imposing quarry – not visible from the path – enclosed by a wire fence and marked by a tall wall of vegetation, on which ‘no entry’ signs are regularly displayed.
(6) At a bend (a lovely viewpoint), look out for a wooden sign on the right marked ‘Passage secret’: you’ll return via this route. Continue straight down towards an area of meadows. Right at the bottom, look for a faint track in the grass which leads onto a small path. Cross the stream via a wooden footbridge; this stream forms the source of the River Goyen, which flows into the sea at Audierne some 30 km further on. Head back up and continue along the path overlooking the Fontaine de la Boissière.
The path skirts round the buildings of the farm of the same name on the right. Finally, turn left to discover the chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame des Grâces (late 17th century) and its vast grassy esplanade. An ideal spot for a break, with a picnic table.
(7) Retrace your steps and return to the fountain. Descend the 72 wooden steps to reach this monumental fountain, built of cut stone and bearing the date 1693. With your back to the fountain, continue to the left along a faint path through the trees, which will take you back to the path you took on the way there. Cross the footbridge again, then begin the climb back up to the bend where you’ll find the sign for the ‘secret passage’.
(6) Turn left into this narrow hedgerow, planted in 1993, which continues via a path between two meadows, and join the dead-end road leading to Kerjean Farm.
(8) Turn right and follow this road straight on until you reach the junction with the Route de Plonéis, marked by a Stop sign. Turn left, continue towards the village and pass the state school. Just after that, on the left, a path leads to the car park (S/E).
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