Manoir de Goasfroment
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Goasfroment, located in Plouézec (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Plouézec, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7258, -2.9701
- Mérimée Reference
- PA22000047
On the borders of Plouézec and Lanloup, Goasfroment manor house boasts timber-framed pavilions - a rare sight in rural Brittany - and a grand 18th-century stone staircase facing the sea spray of Bréhec.
History
Nestling in the soft soils of the Goëlo coast, a stone's throw from the Bréhec beach, the Manoir de Goasfroment is one of those discreet jewels that Brittany knows how to keep to itself. Built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, it stands on the boundary between two communes - Plouézec and Lanloup - giving it a special in-between atmosphere, suspended between bocage and coastline. The first thing that strikes visitors is the silhouette of the main dwelling flanked by two small symmetrical pavilions, the first floors of which are timber-framed. In a region where granite stone dominates rural architecture almost unchallenged, this choice of construction and decoration stands out with a rare elegance. The timber framing here plays more than just a structural role: it is a real ornament to the façade, a direct echo of the middle-class houses built at the same time in Saint-Brieuc, Paimpol and Lanvollon. Inside, the grand carved stone staircase, added in the early years of the 18th century, reveals the social ambitions of its patrons. Sober and majestic at the same time, it bears witness to the constant concern of successive owners to adapt their residence to the fashions of the times without losing the soul of the original building. The estate, which was once much larger, retains some of its mystery in the traces of its disappeared outbuildings - including a dovecote, the quintessential symbol of nobility under the Ancien Régime. The gradual reduction in the size of the estate has not altered the charm of the site, which lovers of Breton rural heritage will appreciate for its preserved authenticity. The natural setting adds to the appeal of the site: the immediate proximity of the Bay of Bréhec, with its cliffs and coves, offers visitors a walk that combines history and the maritime landscape, in one of the wildest areas of the Côtes-d'Armor.
Architecture
The Goasfroment manor house features a tripartite layout typical of early 17th-century Breton architecture: a central main building flanked by two narrower side pavilions, forming a symmetrical facade of relative sophistication for a rural residence. The great originality of the building lies in the treatment of these pavilions, the first floor of which is built in half-timbering - an oak-framed construction technique with infill - whereas granite stone normally dominates unchallenged in the vernacular architecture of the region. Far from being a simple economic expedient, the timber framing here is a genuine decorative motif, reminiscent of the half-timbered facades of urban houses in Saint-Brieuc, Paimpol or Lanvollon, giving the manor house a hybrid character between urban tradition and rural setting. The main building, constructed from local stone rubble, follows the sober layout typical of Goellois manor houses, with vertical bays and regular openings. The most striking feature of the interior is the large ashlar staircase, added in the early 18th century. Classically designed, with straight or winding flights, this staircase makes its presence felt at the heart of the dwelling and testifies to the technical mastery of the stonemasons working in the region at the time. The remains of the outbuildings - sheds, farm outbuildings and the former dovecote, which has now disappeared - still reveal the layout of a typical Breton farming estate. Despite successive alterations and losses, the ensemble retains an architectural legibility that makes it a precious and unusual example of a rural seigneurial residence between the late Renaissance and the early Classical periods.
Related Figures
Olivier du Fresne — propriétaire au début du XVIIIe siècle, commanditaire du grand escalier en pierreJeanne de Leshildry — épouse d'Olivier du Fresne, co-commanditaire des travaux du XVIIIe siècleFamilles seigneuriales du Goëlo — noblesse secondaire bretonne ayant présidé à la construction initiale aux XVIe-XVIIe siècles
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Goasfroment located?
Manoir de Goasfroment is located in Plouézec, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de Goasfroment built?
Manoir de Goasfroment dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Goasfroment open to visitors?
Manoir de Goasfroment is currently closed to visitors.