The paths of Saint-Dys

The route starts from the sports complex on Rue du Pré de la Dame in Férel.

(S/E) Opposite the tarmac sports pitch, turn right to leave the sports complex, then left.
This path takes you to Le Guernet (pronounced ‘Gwernais’), which boasts a beautiful, renovated and well-maintained collection of village communal buildings (pond, oven).

(1) On leaving this hamlet, head left onto the^GR®39(marked in white and red). The path skirts the central part of the estate where the ‘château’ is situated. Unfortunately, it cannot be seen from the edges of the woods. Stay on the marked path, ignoring the side paths on either side, until you reach a junction.

(2) Let the^GR® head off to the left and continue to the right. Keep to the right at the next Fork in the road.

(3) When you reach the Kerfélice cross (pronounced Kerflisse), turn right, follow the road uphill for about 300 metres, then take the path on the left towards Kerboulard. Turn left at the second street and carry on straight ahead.

(4) Turn left and cross the ford. Carry on until you reach the road. Turn right and follow the village lane for about a hundred metres.

(5) Turn left towards Ville Crusson. At the T-junction, turn right. The long, tree-lined path that takes you straight to the RD34 runs alongside the woods of La Noë des Mouches. The paths through this area make for lovely walks.

(6) Cross the RD34 north of Le Grazo, go round the ‘La Chaumière’ nightclub, then turn right towards Perrin. At the second junction, turn right towards the village.

(7) In the centre of the village, turn right in front of the wayside cross (Chemin des Sources). Cross the RD34 again, then continue along the tree-lined paths of the Landes de Riégas, heading south-east.

(8) Before the Cour du Moulin, turn left, then right onto the path leading to Le Guerny (pronounced ‘Gwerni’).

(9) When you reach the RD34 again, turn right onto Chemin des Cormiers, then take Chemin de Lourdes, which continues from there, until you reach Rue du Pré de la Dame.
Turn right, then left to return to the sports complex, through the gate in the fence (S/E).

Initially, toilet facilities are available in the community hall, when it is open.

Férel Church: the listed stained-glass window depicting the Tree of Jesse. This window, dating from the early 16th century, was removed from the original church, which stood in the centre of the present-day village, and stored for several decades before being reinstalled in the current church in 1933. Inside the church, you can see other, more recent stained-glass windows: those dating from after the First World War, which include portraits of soldiers who died in action, and the rose window in the north transept, which is an ex-voto from prisoners of the Second World War.

Between (1) and (3) This village is the northern gateway to the Coët Castel estate (the ‘Bois du Château’ in Breton), which covers the entire southern part of the commune of Férel and extends into the neighbouring commune of Herbignac (Bois de l’Épine).

(4) You can turn right to take the shorter route. You’ll return to the starting point via the villages of La Porte and then Le Guernet.

(5) La Cour d’Ally: this name, which is found in several localities within the commune, refers to the buildings that adjoined a seigneurial estate – in this case, that of Ally – which no longer exists, although one village has retained its name.

(7) The village of Perrin has retained its traditional village layout, and features rows of farmhouses, some with thatched roofs, which give it a very distinctive character.