Saint-Laurent: Le Palacret, Mill Culture and Walking Trails
Accommodation in Saint-Laurent
Le Palacret is a former flax scutching mill in the Jaudy Valley. The site thus combines mill history, a river landscape and preserved traces of earlier use.
Landscape and Trails
The Jaudy River runs through Le Palacret. Le Palacret is used for recreation as well as for walks and hikes. The built heritage and natural riches of Le Palacret can be explored in a preserved 3.6-hectare setting. The river course, paths and area size offer three different scales for exploration: the Jaudy shapes the route through the grounds, the paths provide access to the surroundings, and the size defines the spatial framework of the site. Walks and hikes are thus available alongside engagement with the built heritage, without this resulting in a fixed visiting itinerary.
Culture and History
West of the town centre of Saint-Laurent, the Hospitallers have been established at the Palacret site since the 14th century. Palacret’s grain mill was converted into a flax scutching mill between 1806 and 1871. The parish church of Saint-Laurent has a chancel termination, the south façade of the chancel and a south porch dating from the 14th century. The church of Saint-Laurent and the 17th-century cross in the cemetery were both listed as historic monuments by decree of 24 March 1926. The Palacret manor house is considered to be surrounded by canals, paths, meadows and high-forest stands.
Feunteun ar Sant is a spring dedicated to Saint Lawrence, established by the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem. Several sections of wall and traces of fishponds remain from the former Palacret commandery. Thus, the same site brings together chronological references through dates, ecclesiastical architectural forms, a consecrated spring and structural remains of the former commandery.
Mill and Visitor Formats
In the mill area of Le Palacret, guided tours and demonstrations are offered; they keep the system and equipment operational. Three associations welcome visitors at Le Palacret year-round and offer workshops, exhibitions, activities and guided tours. Guided tours, workshops, events and exhibitions are regularly offered at Le Palacret. The Domaine du Palacret is accessible year-round and offers walking trails.
For planning the rhythm of a day, exploring the paths, guided tours, workshops, exhibitions and events can be considered as different visitor formats alongside one another. The range extends from observing the mill technology to supervised educational activities and walking trails in the Domaine du Palacret. The formats mentioned therefore differ mainly in how visitors engage with the site.
Exploring Saint-Laurent
Le Palacret is located on the D32 between Bégard and Saint-Laurent. At kilometre 5.27, the Circuit de la Vallée du Perrier PR2 walking trail indicates a point with the place name Saint-Laurent. The road and the hiking trail thus provide two different geographical reference points for locating the site.
Other places for your research include Moncontour, Broons, Binic, Hénansal, Saint-Péver, Buhulien, Yvignac-La-Tour and La Richardais.
For the overarching travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.
