Krénénan Chapel and Scorff Valley in Guémené-sur-Scorff

Start from Place Joseph Loth in Guémené-sur-Scorff.

(S/R) Leave Place Joseph Loth via the main street and turn left towards the town hall. Go round the town hall on the right, passing one of the few remaining parts of the imposing castle that once stood here: the Queen’s Baths. Continue towards La Porterie, the former gateway to the castle; go through it to rejoin the street leading to the church, on the right.

(1) When you reach the church, turn left onto the sloping main street and follow it to the next junction. Turn left and take the small street branching off to the left. Before passing a row of small, low-roofed houses, you’ll come to a curious red house, built of wood and stone, which stands out rather strangely against the granite surroundings. The street curves to the right before crossing Rue Raymond Voisin. Cross the road and continue straight ahead to the Pont Bihen mill.

(2) This old mill was once fed by a channel from the Scorff, the course of which was clearly wider than it is today. To cross the river, you must go past the mill and reach the footbridge that has replaced the old ford. Once on the other side, carry on to the hamlet of Kervair and, when the road bends to the right, leave it to take the cul-de-sac leading off to the left. Once you have passed the houses, you enter what is effectively a covered trench. The width of the path, the embankments flanking it and the vegetation overhanging it raise questions about the volume of traffic this route must once have seen. Today, it is clearly used only by pedestrians, who sometimes have to walk like tightrope walkers to cross the wettest sections.

(3) After about 500 metres, you emerge into the open air at a junction with another path. Turn right twice before reaching a small road that slopes steeply downwards. Turn left twice to head towards Kerlouis.

(4) Let the road curve towards the hamlet of Kerlouis and carry on straight ahead for just under a hundred metres. Turn left onto the path that follows the edge of the woodland until you reach the Kerémile road. Cross the road and continue straight on, through countryside alternating between woodland and farmland. Upon reaching the bottom of a valley, the path takes a sharp bend to the left to follow the foot of the wooded hillside overlooked by the chapel at Krénénan, which the path will pass later on.
After winding its way down the slope, the path reaches a cleared and newly planted area where it has suffered somewhat from the impact of forestry machinery. Cross this area and head further up the slope.

(5) After coming to another track on the right, follow the stony farm track to the left; its only attraction is the lovely view over the Scorff valley.
You’ll soon come to a livestock farm, which you should go round to the right. Botcoët isn’t far now, although you’ll need to get past the final stretch of vegetation to find yourself amongst the houses.

(6) At the crossroads leading to the two parts of the hamlet, catch your breath before tackling the steep climb ahead. The road climbs at a steep gradient for about 300 m, but the view from the top of the hill is a fine reward for the effort.
Carry on straight ahead towards Spernen’s house and take the path that continues from the road. On the plateau, it runs alongside a field before turning at a right angle about 300 m further on.
The route then follows a hedge before entering a path flanked by two embankments. As you approach the chapel at Krénénan, the footpath widens into a proper lane as it reaches the chapel’s surroundings. Such a wide path was no doubt necessary to accommodate the hundreds of pilgrims the site welcomed in its heyday.

(7) After walking round the building, take the path that starts between the farmhouse and one of the stone shelters to the north of the chapel. This path descends through woodland to the fountain associated with the chapel, just across the D1.
Turn your back on the fountain and head towards the road to Kerhamonic by taking the small path that descends from the road embankment on the left. Turn left onto the road towards the hamlet, pass the grand houses of Kerdoric and continue until the road to Kerhamonic branches off to the right. Head down the somewhat muddy track opposite and follow it for about 700 metres. When you come out onto a wider track, turn left and head down until you reach the meadows bordering the Scorff. As you approach them, you’re bound to be alerted by the barking of the pack of dogs that live in these parts. It’s easy to see why their owner chose such a secluded spot to keep them all together!

(8) Walk past the kennels and continue along the path to the bend before reaching the D3. The path branches off to the right into the woods. It winds its way, more or less following the road, a few dozen metres inside the woodland. After about 700 m, it reaches the junction for Tronscorff.

(9) The path splits into two a few dozen metres above the bridge beneath Tronscorff. Ignore the branch heading towards the road and the bridge, and turn right to head back up into the woods. A little further on, the path comes to the embankment surrounding a vast, half-moon-shaped meadow. Turn right and go round it to continue on the other side, having skirted the field by following the embankment.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll leave the hamlet of Poulhibet below you and reach another crossroads.

(10) Ignore the path leading down to the left towards the road, and take the one climbing up the slope, slightly to the right. Carry on straight ahead at the next crossroads and follow the path that runs along the edge of the plateau. On the other side of the path, the slope becomes steeper and steeper, until the path makes a very sharp ‘S’ bend. Once past these bends, ignore the path that branches off to the right and carry on straight ahead towards Kermaria, which you’ll reach a few dozen metres further on.
Walk through the hamlet to reach the D1.

(11) Turn left and follow the road until you cross the Scorff and reach the roundabout marking the entrance to Guémené. Turn right and follow the pavement until you reach the narrow lane leading to the old wash house.

(12) Then cross the street to take the narrow lane that climbs to the left. It leads to the church, just like the main road, but without having to share the path with traffic.

(1) Walk past the foot of the church and continue along Rue Joseph Hémonet. Walk past the former vicarage and carry on straight ahead towards the Notre-Dame de la Fosse fountain.

(13) Once you reach the fountain, continue towards the centre along Rue de la Fontaine. When you reach Rue des Frères Trébuil, Rue Joseph Loth and the starting point will be in sight, about fifty metres further on (S/E).

This route follows sections of one or more marked trails, but deviates from them several times. Unless the description recommends it, it is best to ignore any markings you encounter.

Provisions can be purchased in Guémené-sur-Scorff.

If the chapel is not open, the only shelters available on the route are the stone huts surrounding the sanctuary. They are rudimentary but provide shelter from the rain if necessary.

On reaching the chapel at Krénénan and its tall bell tower, note the stone shelters – rather out of place in these parts – which surround the monument. What purpose might they have served? Certainly not for the shepherds who roam the causses and other limestone expanses where one usually comes across this sort of structure.

Guémené’s high street still boasts a few fine half-timbered or ashlar stone buildings, which you can take in on a stroll up and down the street.