The castles of Coglais

This circuit allows you to discover the architectural side of the Coglais region. It offers breathtaking views of the manor houses and châteaux and their estates. It should be remembered that in the Middle Ages, the Seigneury of Saint-Brice was of exceptional importance in the barony of Fougères. Later, in 1794, it was here that the first Chouannerie began, as did the second in 1815.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.95 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 52 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 56 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 123 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 89 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Champ de Foire car park, opposite the Town Hall and Tourist Office.

The route is entirely marked in yellow. Unfortunately, some of the markings are not very visible and there are a few sections where there are no markings at all.

(S/E) Leave the car park with the Town Hall behind you. At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de Normandie; the cemetery will be on your right.

At the first street on the left, take the footpath that runs alongside the D102 road. The path branches off to the left and ends at a road. Take the road on the right and cross the D102. Continue straight ahead and, after 100 metres, turn left to see the first manor house, "Le Manoir de la Branche".

(1) Turn around, cross the road and take the path opposite that descends into the valley of the Sévinais stream. After turning left, follow the Loisance river, passing two hundred-year-old oak trees. After passing the water treatment plant on your right, turn left, cross the footbridge over the Loisance and you will reach a fork in the path.

(2) Head straight ahead and walk 250 metres there and back to enjoy the panoramic view of the Château de la Motte. Return to the path.

(2) Turn right. Cross Le Pommerel then turn right (towards the Moulin de la Villette). Cross La Haussandière, continue to the left then take the path on the right.

(3) At the inverted three-way junction, turn left towards the mill. Continue along this path until it joins a road.

(4) Take it on the right, then turn left at La Desnière farm.
Follow the tree-lined avenue.

(5) On the right is the Château de la Vilette, which is still inhabited.
Turn left onto a forest path heading west then north. Reach the D102 at Grand Baudusse. (See practical information).

(6) Take the D102 on the left for 100 metres, then take a path on the right. Continue along this path until you reach the road.

(7) Take it to the right for 100m, then , after crossing carefully, follow the path to the left that crosses the Loisance. Leave the GR® for a moment and turn right to go around the hamlet of Les Vaux.

(8) Continue along the access road to the hamlet, heading south-west. After 250 metres, take the path on the left which leads to the stadium.

(9) Go around it on the left and continue straight ahead to the end of Rue du Houx. At the intersection, turn right (Rue de la Libération) and then, just before the church, turn left to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 107 m - Champ de Foire car park
  2. 1 : km 0.93 - alt. 100 m - The Manor of La Branche
  3. 2 : km 2.7 - alt. 99 m - Return trip to the Château de la Motte. After the - Loysance (rivère)
  4. 3 : km 4.23 - alt. 119 m - Left hairpin bend
  5. 4 : km 5.07 - alt. 120 m - Route
  6. 5 : km 5.7 - alt. 113 m - The Château de la Villette
  7. 6 : km 6.6 - alt. 121 m - D102
  8. 7 : km 7.66 - alt. 93 m - Route
  9. 8 : km 8.17 - alt. 107 m - On the left after Les Vaux
  10. 9 : km 9.11 - alt. 114 m - Stadium
  11. S/E : km 9.95 - alt. 107 m - Champ de Foire car park

Notes

The circuit is entirely marked in yellow. Unfortunately, some markers are difficult to see and some are even missing.

In 2025, the owners of the Château Le Rocher Portail decided not to renew the right of way with the GR® 37 variant. As a result, between Grand Baudusse and the valley, only the GR® 37 should be followed. The map and description have been modified accordingly.

Worth a visit

(1) The Manoir de la Branche (17th century) has a very unusual spiral staircase tower on its north façade, which is round at the base and square on the upper level. At the beginning of the Revolution, Anne-Louis de Pontavice, former captain in the Armagnac regiment and aide-de-camp to the Marquis de la Rouërie, lived there. Along with eleven other Bretons, he was guillotined in Paris on 18 June 1793.

(2) The Château de la Motte, listed as a Historic Monument in 1975, was the seat of the Seigneury of Saint-Brice. In 1789, its jurisdiction extended over 30 parishes.

(5) The Château de la Villette was built using materials from an older building that was destroyed in 1789. The adjoining chapel dates from the 16th century.

(8) The Château du Rocher Portail, listed as a historic monument in 1961, was rebuilt in 1617 by Gilles Ruellan. A former cart driver for a cloth merchant, he made his fortune and rose to the highest positions at the court of Henry IV and then Louis XIII. Ennobled in 1604, he became a Knight of the Order, then twice a Baron.
https://lerocherportail.fr/pages/le-roch...

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you for your comments. The author has amended the description accordingly.

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Brlandàe
Brlandàe

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The passage to La Motte Castle is no longer up to date. We had to turn back because crossing the Loisance stream is no longer possible as described in the GPX track. You have to go back and take the new route. The route needs to be revised.
However, with regard to the Rocher Portail, the description and route clearly indicated that the passage was no longer authorised. No unpleasant surprises there.

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adekan
adekan

hello, I can confirm that Rocher-Portail has privatised sections of the GR37 trail that pass near its castle; there are padlocked barricades and warnings of "video surveillance"...so there is no agreement to allow passage, even though the "GR 37 variant" route does exist on IGN maps, and I had already used these sections of the GR before. I saw these barriers at the hamlet of Galesnais and at point 5 opposite the castle (the access road has also been blocked and turned into a dead end). These barriers can also be found on the hike at the edge of the Gâtines, starting from La Selles en Coglès, at point 9 before the Echelles stream. In each case, all markings have been removed, with no indication of an alternative route, and the barriers prevent all access, even for pedestrians. however, these are official and ancestral paths of the GR37. Is this legal? What does the Town Hall say?

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JODI08
JODI08

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route is still as enjoyable as ever.
However, there has been one downside since April 2024: it is no longer possible to take the path opposite the entrance to Le Rocher Portail castle towards the hamlet of La Galesnais (private property, "large padlock").
There is no choice but to retrace your steps to the D102 (see point 4).
Follow the D102 (in the opposite direction) for about 100 metres and take the path on the right (alternative route indicated).
Be careful along the D102 as the verges are very narrow.
What's more, this path (not to mention that it lacks the charm of the La Galesnais path) was still very wet on 22 June, so I can only imagine what it's like in autumn and winter.

Opinion of a dissatisfied walker...

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jlbamrb
jlbamrb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with beautiful views of the castles.

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chipie33290
chipie33290

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route for exploring the castles
Shady paths, few roads
Thank you for this route

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LucilleD
LucilleD

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Drager2
Drager2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route. Beautiful views of historical heritage sites. Best done when it's not too wet, as there are grassy sections and sunken paths. But that's also part of the charm of this hike.

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catle
catle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike in the Coglès region. Beautiful historical past with its castles. A slight hesitation at point 5.
pleasant route. Best done in good weather as it crosses fields with grass and damp paths.
Highly recommended

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Mummm
Mummm

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Bucolic trails with historical interest. Very pleasant

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hervérob
hervérob
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a parish specific to Brittany, very pleasant, well-marked hike with beautiful views of the three castles
this is the second time we have done this hike and we are not disappointed at all.

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Phil50690
Phil50690
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very interesting route on paths that are very passable in June.
The markings leave much to be desired, sometimes completely absent, sometimes recently redone.
Be careful, just before point 2, do not go as far as the road. A little before, a sign points to the left towards "le moulin de la Motte" (the Motte mill). Follow this sign and you will find yourself at point 2, where you can make a return trip to enjoy the superb view of the castle. The bridge that allowed you to cross the river on the original route has been removed.
Once you rejoin the GR, follow it to the football pitch at ST-Brice-en Coglès. Here, the GR turns right and the castle circuit goes around the football pitch on the left.
Superb castles.

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ktl35
ktl35

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very enjoyable and varied route.
But not to be done in February... Several sections are flooded or muddy. Part of the circuit is closed. We ignored this (10 metres near an area of subsidence).
three castles on the route.
To be redone in fine weather.
Took 3 hours, including a picnic at Rocher Portail.
For your information: clearly visible yellow then red and white markings throughout the circuit

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yandre
yandre

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

this route is virtually closed for construction. The proposed detour is impassable (the ground is muddy and soggy).
We managed to see a castle by disregarding the prohibitions.

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Domi2935
Domi2935

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This is a beautiful hike that showcases the Breton countryside and passes by three castles: don't hesitate to take a detour to see the first two castles. There are two picnic tables in front of Rocher Portail Castle, which is only open from May to 22 September, every day in July and August from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every day except Saturdays in May, June and September from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Very good signposting: you don't have to keep your nose in the map.

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