Saint-Judoce: Hiking and Heritage

Saint-Judoce offers several specific reasons to visit: three named hiking trails, two churches from different building periods, and historic manor houses. For planning, the routes, the estimated time required for the Circuit du Linon, and the dates of the buildings are helpful. Notable landmarks include a towpath, a metal bridge, and the Vieux-Bourg.

Landscape and hiking trails

To the north, Saint-Judoce is bordered by both the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance and the Linon. The densest bocage landscape in the municipality lies along the northern canal. Open farmland predominates in the centre and south. This creates a clear landscape contrast between the verdant north and the more open parts of the municipality.

The Circuit du Linon starts at Saint-Judoce Church. The hiking trail is 14 kilometres long, with an estimated walking time of four hours and 30 minutes. Its route reaches the towpath and passes a bridge into the Vieux-Bourg. The starting point, distance and estimated time help you plan this trail for your stay.

On the Circuit des 3 Villages, hikers cross the metal bridge in the Vieux-Bourg. From there, they can see the former Saint-Judoce Church. The route also offers views of the Linon’s peaceful meanders, with a picnic table nearby where you can take a break.

The Circuit du Vieux Bourg follows the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance for a long stretch. Each trail has a different focus: the Circuit du Linon specifies its distance and estimated walking time; the Circuit des 3 Villages highlights the bridge and the view of the former church; and the Circuit du Vieux Bourg features the long stretch along the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance.

Churches and building history

The former parish church of Saint-Judoce stands in the Vieux-Bourg and is mentioned as early as a donation charter from the mid-12th century. It was largely rebuilt in the 14th century. Features that remain include a west portal, an open bell gable with an openwork cross formed by four crescents, and a three-lobed tracery window in the choir. The south door bears the inscription “DIEX PARDOINT A VILLECMER” from the late 15th century. Since 10 November 1925, the door has been partially protected as a Monument historique.

A different building period defines the present-day Saint-Judoce Church in Champ-Brossard: architect Arthur Regnault built it between 1922 and 1923. It houses polychrome wooden statues of Saint Judoce and Saint Marguerite. The church is considered one of the few examples of 20th-century religious architecture in the Côtes-d’Armor département. Together with the much older former parish church, it spans a broad period in the local history of church building.

Manor houses and local history

The manor house of Champsavoy is considered representative of the manor houses built by the lower nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries, owing to its location and surviving residential building. The estate was surrounded by moats. As late as the 1950s, one moat still separated the courtyard of the residence from the farmyard to the north. After it was ravaged during the Wars of the League, the manor house was rebuilt between the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The manor house of Fournet represents a later building period: it was completely rebuilt in the early 18th century in connection with the wedding of Pierre-Hyacinthe du Fournet and Marie-Melaine de Farcy on 11 February 1734. The estate includes an enclosed courtyard protected by moats, a chapel and farm buildings; a barn has survived. The entrance portal is considered an elegant and remarkable work of art, and probably came from the forge workshops of Paimpont.

Direct sales at CARABO

Brasserie CARABO offers direct sales at its brewery in Saint-Judoce every Friday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. Confirm the arrangements for visiting before you arrive.

Discover more destinations: Laniscat, Belle-Isle-En-Terre, La Vicomté-Sur-Rance, Plourac'h, Hénansal, Bobital, Saint-Gouéno, Loguivy-Plougras.

For the broader travel guide: Côtes-D’armor.