La Gouesnière circular via Bois Renou

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This is a short, peaceful walk, partly through built-up areas and partly through what is known locally as the white marsh. In fact, the only remaining evidence of the marsh is the leat Jean. The route follows part of the GRP® Tour du Pays Malouin.

Details

n°87211980
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.04 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 164 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 174 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 118 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 13 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: La Gouesnière (35350)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.604165° / W 1.893414°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1116ET, 1215OT, 1216O
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Description of the walk

Park in the town hall car park 48.60395973635805, -1.8932146649983765.

(S/E) On leaving the car park, take the D4 on the right after crossing it. Then turn into the first street on the left, Rue Christian de Kergariou, and follow it to the junction with Rue de la Baie.

(1) Turn right and follow the street to the first junction. Then turn right into Rue des Pommiers and continue for approximately 150 m.

(2) Head left to follow Allée de la Grotte, continuing along the GRP®. At the junction with the path, turn left heading east.

(3) After the cave, continue through Bois Renou, following the path that veers to the right. Walk to the car park at the entrance to the woods: the wayside shrine is a little further on, on the right.

(4) Leave the car park and the wayside cross on your right, and take the dirt track to the left. After about a hundred metres, head left, following the Leat de la Bézardais. At the junction, take the road to the right to join the D4, continuing to follow the GRP®.

(5) Cross the D4 with care and take the path opposite, slightly to the right. Continue to the Y-junction and turn left, then go straight on at the next junction, leaving the GRP® markings to your right. Head towards the banks of the Canal des Allemands.

(6) Turn right onto the canal and follow it for about 500 m. Turn right, keep left at the first junction and continue straight on to join the D8.

(7) Turn right onto the D8 and continue straight on for 1.2 km until you reach the junction with the D208.

(8) Pass the castle on your right and continue left on the D208 for about 350 m. The road is uphill.

(9) Take Rue du Lavoir (D476) on the right to head back towards the village centre, then continue straight on until you reach the traffic lights. Simply turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 69 ft - Town Hall car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.22 - alt. 66 ft - Rue de la Baie
  3. 2 : mi 0.42 - alt. 72 ft - Allée de la Grotte
  4. 3 : mi 0.58 - alt. 105 ft - Grotte de Marie
  5. 4 : mi 0.86 - alt. 82 ft - Path on the left
  6. 5 : mi 1.65 - alt. 20 ft - D4 junction
  7. 6 : mi 2.5 - alt. 20 ft - Canal des Allemands
  8. 7 : mi 3.57 - alt. 33 ft - D8 junction
  9. 8 : mi 4.32 - alt. 59 ft - D208 junction
  10. 9 : mi 4.55 - alt. 118 ft - D476 junction
  11. S/E : mi 5.04 - alt. 69 ft - Town Hall car park

Notes

La Gouesnière

The name comes from the names of the former lords Goyon, Gouyon or Gouesnon. In Breton, the commune is called Gouenaer.
The village is located not far from Saint-Malo, Dol de Bretagne and Cancale. Administratively, it is part of the Pays de Saint-Malo region.
King Charles X decided to annex the commune of Bonaban to the commune of La Gouesnière by an order dated 8 July 1829, despite strong protests from the municipal council of the latter.

Worth a visit

(3) Grotte du Bois Renou, Marian shrine: the grotto chapel was erected at the foot of a statue of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1898 by the mayor of La Gouesnière to thank the Virgin Mary for the recovery of his wife. This grotto has apparently become a fairly well-known place of pilgrimage. It was purchased by the local council in 1998.

Bonaban Castle (not open to visitors) is currently undergoing renovation (Oct 2025).

Two old mills located to the north and south of the village. The first, to the south, is on Chemin des Moulins, and the other, the Moulin de la Gouesnière, is to the north, next to the mill’s stables.

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A lovely walk around the northern tip of Saint-Suliac. Do it whatever the weather! Moderator's note as of 06/04/2021: Some modifications on the ground since the creation of this hike: see the comments at the bottom of this page. Moderator's note a description of June 2022 in reverse order to this one is available here

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