The canal bank and Sainte-Croix Church in Josselin

Park at the motorhome site on Rue Glatinier.

(S/E) Leave the car park, turn left, then left again onto Rue Glatinier and follow it to the first cul-de-sac on the left, Rue Beaufort. Turn into this street and follow it to the towpath and Beaufort Island.

(1) Cross the lock footbridge to reach Île de Beaufort on the canalised section of the Oust and head straight towards the old Moulin de Beaufort (exterior view only; private property). Turn right and follow the path back to the towpath (lovely view of the lock keeper’s house).

(1) Turn right and follow the canal, dominated by the towering silhouette of the bell tower of the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Roncier. Gradually, the high, austere walls of Josselin Castle come into view.

(2) Walk past the bridge over the canal, staying on the towpath, and continue to the water sports centre to get a general view of the exterior of the Château des Rohans. Retrace your steps back to the bridge.

(2) Cross the bridge and turn right into the first street, Rue de Caradec, walking past a hotel car park.

(3) Turn right into the cul-de-sac leading to Square du Tard and follow the path along the opposite bank of the canal. Carry on until you reach Rue de Caradec; follow this to the right until you come to a Fork in the road about a hundred metres further on. Take the sharp left-hand bend and head uphill towards the Church of Sainte-Croix, the last remaining part of a priory founded in the 1050s–1060s by Josselin de Porhoët, founder of the château and the town.

(4) Go through the small gate to cross the cemetery surrounding the church; note the wayside cross, then emerge onto a street opposite and continue to a flight of steps (not shown on the maps). Turn left to go down the steps and, at Rue de Caradec, turn right.
On this street, look out for some beautiful half-timbered houses (information panel).

(3) Carry on straight ahead to reach the bridge and cross it.

(2) Turn left onto the towpath, heading in the opposite direction to your outward journey, and, at the motorhome park, take the path on the right to access it (S/E).

Picnic tables on Beaufort Island and at Square du Tard.

Beaufort Island: a small island on the channelled River Oust, the ideal spot for a picnic or a lie-in on a deckchair. The leafy setting and the ever-present water, closely linked to the mill, are perfect for relaxing.

Beaufort Mill.

Sainte-Croix Chapel.

Josselin Castle.