Kermavio, 56480 Cléguérec, France
 
Area

The Area Around Us
All year round, bustling market towns, village goings-on and the glorious countryside are here for you to explore on foot, by bike, on horseback - there is a good stables nearby - or by “motorised transport” (we used to say “by car” until we were gently admonished by a guest who preferred two wheels to four).

Other guests have commented on just how much there is to see and do. And being just about slap-bang in the centre of Brittany, (click map to enlarge) we are close to a lot of it and within two hours of the rest.
On the practical side, i.e. shopping, Cléguérec is less than three kilometres away.

Although not exactly a seething metropolis – the entire Commune (parish) has less than 3,000 inhabitants - it boasts banks, bars and boulangeries (rearrange in any order to suit your priorities), restaurants, a smallish supermarket and a charcuterie – all you need for day to day living.

In addition, you can buy charcuterie directly from a farm shop and locally produced ice cream and sorbets either from the supermarket or directly from the manufacturer.

Cléguérec church.

For those of you who are more comfortable eating food you are familiar with, we also have an "English" shop, Plaisir, in nearby Séglien.

We sell British bacon, sausages, tea, cheese and a whole host of other goodies.

Whilst we hope you will not need them, there are also doctors, dentists, a pharmacy, garages and insurance agents.

Our "English" shop at Séglien.

Cléguérec’s pretty central square is home to a large and unusual church, an impressive War Memorial (designed by the brother of someone famous) and one of only sixteen Statues of Liberty in France. Fortunately, it is a little smaller than the one across the Atlantic!

It also has a sports centre offering various amenities including tennis courts – which are free. Crazy golf and a boulodrome are also available. During high season, a Tourist Information Office is open.

Statue of Liberty.

Cléguérec central square.
Skirting around Cléguérec and eventually coming up past our door is Grande Randonnée (GR) 37. This is one of the long distance footpaths that criss-cross France. It, like all pathways, long, short or circular, is very well marked.

Walkers and cyclists of all levels of experience (and commitment) will enjoy exploring the myriad of routes available and discovering the confetti of megaliths, menhirs and “Allées couvertes”.

Those through the Forêt de Quénécan have been popular with out guests.

Grande Randonnée marker post.

Lac de Guerlédan.

Within the Forêt de Quénécan lies the large Lac de Guerlédan. About 15 minutes drive from us, this man-made lake has three small sandy beaches which provide safe bathing.

Many previous guests with younger children have preferred the lake to the coast – there are no tides or currents in the lake.

Boats, canoes and pedaloes can be hired and boat trips are available. Being in France, these include a meal. Unsurprisingly, many watersports take place on the lake and include water-skiing and sailing. At one end is a dam, or “barrage”.
This has had a mixed reaction from our guests. OK, it’s not exactly the Aswan, but EDF are proud of it! (EDF – the French electricity board). Closer than the lake is the Nantes-Brest Canal. About 4 kilometres to its nearest point by road, it has proved popular with previous guests. Many, after a late breakfast, have cycled gently down the towpath to Pontivy. Then, after a swim in the open-air pool and a leisurely lunch in one of the many restaurants, they have had a wander around the town exploring the shops or the Chateau. The bike ride back to Kermavio has been followed by a barbecue to round off a wonderful day.

Nantes-Brest canal.
At its nearest point to us, the Nantes-Brest Canal is also the River Blavet. They remain one and the same until Pontivy when the river turns right and the canal turns left. You try and work out which way the water flows!!

Pontivy old town.
The canal was built by Napoleon, who also rebuilt much of Pontivy – although probably not personally! Constructed on a grid pattern, Pontivy was intended to be the major town in Brittany and was, for a time, known as Napoleonville.

It was originally founded by St. Ivy. The literal translation of Pontivy is Ivybridge – as in the town near Plymouth. St. Ivy was English. It’s tempting to make connections.

Today, Pontivy is a thriving market town offering a variety of shops, restaurants and cafes. Our photograph shows part of the old town.

Towns further afield are medieval Josselin with its Saturday market and magnificent chateau (pictured), Plouay, where the world cycle championships were held; Vannes with its magnificent walled Old Town; ancient Quimper and its “after lunch” church (it bends); and the historic harbour at Auray. Rural places to visit include Bon Repos (pictured), les Forges-des-Salles – once a steel producing village; Poul Fétan – a “working” 18th century village (our photo shows a cottage interior) and the Forêt de Brocéliande which was the setting for Brittany’s part in the Arthurian Legends.
Josselin.
Bon Repos.
Poul Fétan.

And then, of course, there is Brittany’s famous coastline. Ranging from the raw and wild to the calm of the Golfe du Morbihan, dotted with tiny islands, and great long stretches of sandy beaches, there are over 750 miles to choose from. The furthest points from us are all within a two-hour drive.

Some beaches, such as Quiberon, can get a bit crowded in high season. Others remain near deserted. Our photograph shows one such not far from Quimper. So, if you know where to go (and we can tell you), finding space on a beach should not be a problem.

Near Quimper.
Wherever you are in Brittany, you are not far from water. What with the Canal, various rivers and streams plus loads of lakes and ponds, Brittany is littered with fishing opportunities. The nearest one to us is halfway between Kermavio and Cléguérec. It has an abundance of waterfowl, fitness stations around the perimeter path and a children’s playground at one end. Ideal for the non-fishers whilst the fisher himself is slaving over a hot rod.

There is a huntin’, shootin’ and fishin’ shop in Pontivy that sells all the paraphernalia which fishermen always seem to lose, break or forget. Permits for wider afield can also be bought here, although local permits are available at the Mairie in Cléguérec.

For golfers, there are over a dozen good 18-hole courses within an hour of us and a 9-hole course within half an hour. Séné, near Vannes, has a waterfowl reserve with a host of waders, gulls and ducks. Birds without webbed feet, such as stonechats, kestrels and buzzards can be seen over the fields and lanes around Kermavio as can other forms of the abundant wildlife such as rabbits, hares, foxes, martens, stoats and badgers. For those who prefer wildlife to come to them, then thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinches, robins, wrens and many others will entertain you (loudly) as you relax in our award-winning gardens.
Dusk in late summer,
Château des Ducs du Rohan, Pontivy.
Autumn colour at the lake near Cléguérec..