Tour of the thatched-roof villages of Saint-Lyphard

(S/E) From the foot of the church’s pink bell tower, turn your back on the thatched-roof tourist office and take Rue de la Brière. After 150 metres, a large farmhouse stands on the left-hand side of the road.

(1) Acquired by the local council, the Maison du Père Félix, a magnificent example of Briéron’s architectural heritage, has become a venue for meetings and exhibitions. Continue straight on until you reach Rue de Kervily. Turn left and carry on to the roundabout.

(2) Cross the bypass for the village of St Lyphard and pass in front of the Espace des Coulines (multi-purpose hall). Follow the small road heading due east towards La Brière, leaving the sports facilities on your left. Turn right at the next junction to head back towards Le Clos d’Orange.

(3) As you approach the first houses of the hamlet, turn left to reach the port of La Pierre Fendue. This small port, typical of the area around the marsh, owes its name to a stone said to have been split by St Lyphard as he cut off the head of the dragon that had previously terrorised La Brière. Since then, the area has regained its tranquillity.
Retrace your steps back to Clos d’Orange and take the first road on the left. Although a few roofs are covered in slate, most of the buildings have thatched roofs.
Once you’ve passed the last houses, continue along the cycle path that veers to the right. Then take the second path on the left, and continue along this lovely tree-lined path until you reach the D47.

(4) Cross the road, leaving a large nursery on your left, and head down the small road opposite until you reach another road. Just before this junction, known as Pont d’Os ((5)), a path climbs sharply to the left. It leads to the hamlet of La Croix Longue, which is dominated by a tall mill.

(6) At the crossroads in the centre of the hamlet, leave the mill on your right and continue straight on. As you approach the next hamlet ((7)), take the first street on the right. At the next junction, you can continue on to the village of Keralio, which boasts a fine collection of thatched farmhouses. In the village green at the entrance to the village, note the magnificent monolithic cross on its double octagonal plinth.

(8) Retrace your steps back to Maison Neuve, and when you reach the Route de la Croix Longue, turn right. After a crossroads, which you cross straight ahead, you’ll soon reach the cross at Kerdanestre ((9)), a village you enter by turning right at the cross. From here to the outskirts of Brunet, there are no more slate roofs, as thatched roofs reign supreme here. Kerdanestre, followed by Crugo, which lies just beyond, offers a beautiful array of buildings with thatched roofs, including on new constructions.

(10) At the central crossroads of this village, turn left towards Broussely, which you cross before rejoining the RD 47.

(11) As it is not safe to cycle on this busy main road, cross over and bypass Le Brunet via the street opposite. This residential area is unremarkable, but it allows you to reach the Route de Bréca safely. When you reach this road ((12)), turn left and follow the long straight stretch that leads to the port of Bréca. On arrival, you’ll find some fine examples of thatched cottages.

(13) Take the time to explore the area, which is one of the main ports in the western part of the Brière, and to stroll along the many chalandières (canals where the boats used to navigate the marshes are moored). And when you feel like setting off again, follow the road as it curves in a semicircle to the monument erected here in honour of the Rouge de Bréca. Turn right at the memorial to head back up through the heart of the village and join the long road that cuts through the marshes here. It soon reaches a wooded area where it winds its way until it reaches the village of Sandun.

(14) Cross the RD 47 and head straight on towards Kerjacob. This hamlet, which is now part of Sandun, lies just before the Sandun dam reservoir; you cross one of its arms before reaching the hamlet of Cogea.

(15) Turn right and head down towards the pond, which can be seen here in its full length. This former reservoir, originally intended for drinking water production, is now a paradise for anglers. Head back up the opposite bank and turn right at the first road.

(16) Pass between farm buildings and follow the road up to Kerbénet, then Kergonan, where you’ll find some fine clusters of thatched cottages.

(17) In Kergonan, turn left and then pass through a rather unremarkable residential area where thatched cottages are few and far between.
Head straight on to reach the outskirts of Kerveloche and turn left immediately after passing a thatched cottage on the right-hand side of the road. There are plenty of them in the heart of the village.

(18) Pass through the village of Kerveloche, then further on, Kerroux ((19)). Turn right at the crossroads to enter another area exclusively covered in thatched roofs: the outskirts of Kerhinet, a village restored by the Brière Regional Nature Park.

(20) The entrance to the village is slightly to the left of the junction you arrive at. A large car park is located a few metres further on, where you can leave your vehicle (the village is exclusively pedestrianised).
After your visit, turn right as you leave the car park to cross Kerverné and head towards the mills of Kerbourg

::21. Turn left onto the cul-de-sac leading to the first mill, which has no sails, and after passing it, continue to the dolmens, dominated by the slender silhouette of a large white mill whose sails can sometimes be seen turning.
Whilst the second dolmen is little more than ruins, the first is in remarkable condition, even though the cairn that originally covered it has long since disappeared.
Return to the road, turn left, then cross the main road to reach the village of Kerbourg.

(22) You approach the village between two beautiful rows of farmhouses before reaching the central crossroads and its stone cross. You can turn right straight away, but a short stroll through the village will allow you to appreciate its rich heritage.
Turn left at the cross, then right at the next three-way junction. You will then pass through an area dominated by new slate-roofed buildings, before turning right to head back up towards the thatched cottages. When you reach the first farmhouses, turn right to return to the central crossroads. Then turn left towards Kermouraud.

(23) On leaving the village of Kerbourg, turn left onto a sandy track. A sign points to the Pont de Gras, your next stop.

(24) As you approach the marshes, the path makes a first turn right then left. Three hundred metres further on, a track branches off to the left of the path. Leave your bike and head under the oak trees. The “bridge” is right under your feet. It is actually a forded crossing through the Crolières marsh, which can only be crossed on foot. Its origins are said to date back to the Gallo-Romans. Return to the track and continue to the left. The track skirts a pond before rejoining the road at the exit of the village of Kermouraud.

(25) Turn left and head up the road towards Kerlo, which you reach after passing the Lion d’Or. Was there once a hotel here?
Kerlo is once again a place notable for its thatched cottages, including some of recent construction.

(26) Turn left at the three-way junction on leaving the village and head up to Kerdorguet, via Kerolivier.

(27) As you reach the RD 52, turn right, then left 150 m further on, towards Kerado and Mézerac. You pass through more hamlets with interesting heritage.

(28) On arriving at Mézerac, don’t hesitate to take a few turns to the left to ride between the farmhouses. Otherwise, turn right to follow the small road that skirts the marshes.

(29) Just before the Pont d'Os, turn left onto a straight road heading towards the bell tower of St Lyphard, a little further up. You’ll come to Kerjano and Le Pingrin, two former outlying villages of the market town, which are now part of it. Continue straight on until you reach the RD 83, at the entrance to St Lyphard.

Turn right, then left 100 metres further on, to follow Rue des Gros Fossés.

(30) After a right-hand bend, follow a high, tree-lined embankment (an ancient Roman fortification) which runs alongside the street on the right. Follow it to the first junction and turn right. At the junction with Rue de Bretagne, turn right and follow this road to the town centre. You will soon come across the pink bell tower and the contemporary architecture of the thatched-roof Tourist Office (S/E)

There are few places to buy food on this route, apart from St Lyphard and La Madeleine de Guérande, two kilometres south-west of Kerhinet.
However, there is a restaurant in Kerhinet and another in Bréca, both on the route, as well as the Auberge du Nézil, one kilometre east of Maison Neuve.

If you don’t have a bike, please note that the Saint Lyphard Tourist Office can provide one for you.

When it is not possible to picnic outdoors, the port of Bréca offers a shelter with a viewing platform, right on the edge of the marsh, which also provides a slightly elevated vantage point.

The area around the Brière has no significant elevations, making the marsh almost invisible behind the tree-lined barrier that surrounds it. So do not miss the climb up the bell tower of St Lyphard Church, which offers a unique vantage point over the vast marshland nearby.

Why a pink bell tower? In the early 2000s, when this concrete structure—dating from the 1950s—was being renovated, it was decided to paint it. So why not pink? Although the initiative was heavily criticised at the time, it now serves to clearly identify a monument that would otherwise have remained unremarkable.

Whilst thatched cottages were long the homes of those who could not afford slate roofs, times have certainly changed. Many of the farmhouses that were once humble dwellings are now beautiful properties, restored with taste and great care.

In Bréca, a memorial stone has been erected in memory of François-Marie Moranton, known as ‘the Red of Bréca’, the last traditional veuze player who lived in these parts. His instrument, preserved by a local scholar, enabled the revival of this local bagpipe some forty years ago. But playing it is not within the reach of just any player: isn’t it said that a veuzou spends half his time tuning his instrument… and the rest playing out of tune!

Kerhinet was soon little more than ruins when the newly established Brière Regional Nature Park acquired almost the entire site. Since its restoration, the site has been home to a restaurant, craft workshops and exhibition spaces, which attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. A local farmers’ market is also held there every Thursday, and a branch of the tourist office has also set up shop there.

There are numerous megalithic monuments on the Guérande Peninsula. Whilst the Kerbourg dolmen is one of the most significant, there are many stones scattered across the countryside. For instance, just a stone’s throw from the dolmen lies the Pierre Blanche, standing alone in a field to the west of Kerbourg, or the Pierre du Len, half-submerged in the Mézerac marshes.

The wooded embankment bordering Rue des Gros Fossés, on the right, is the sole remnant of a fortification attributed to the Romans, which blocked the entrance to St Lyphard, thereby isolating the Guérande Peninsula. Indeed, the two kilometres separating the Brière from the Mès marshes were then the only land above water, during periods of high water, by which one could reach the mainland from the peninsula. As vegetation has now thoroughly colonised the edges of the two marshes, it takes a little imagination to picture what the area might have looked like when water reigned supreme. Put on your wellies in winter to realise that it is still very much present.
Along this route, you will also come across two signs marking the site of an anti-tank trench, dug during the Second World War to cut off the peninsula and block access to the port of Saint-Nazaire. But whilst this feature is much more recent than the Roman fortifications, it would go unnoticed were it not for these signs.