Botsorhel: Heritage, Spring Bogs and Routes

Those considering Botsorhel as a destination can explore it through architecture, historic traces and landscape. The Church of Saint-Georges, a chapel and several crosses offer tangible starting points for learning about local history. There are also two spring bogs and different types of routes. This gives trip planning several possible focuses: architectural forms and dates, the bogs’ springs or a hiking or mountain biking route.

Church and Chapel

The Church of Saint-Georges in Botsorhel has the ground plan of a Latin cross with three naves. The cross-shaped plan describes the basic form, while the three naves provide another way of dividing the building. Those interested in religious architecture will find two specific features here that help identify its design.

The Chapelle du Christ is near the hamlet of Lesconais and dates from the 18th century. The year 1738 is inscribed on it; it was probably rebuilt over an older structure. A specific year is thus recorded alongside a more distant, but only probable, building history.

Crosses and Historic Buildings

The Croaz-an-Alleguen cross is thought to be the oldest cross in Botsorhel and may date from the end of the Middle Ages. The base of the Saint-Ener cross bears the year 1813; the cross also combines elements from the Middle Ages and the 17th century. The two crosses offer different historical clues: at Croaz-an-Alleguen, the focus is on its possible dating, while at Saint-Ener a specific date on the base sits alongside elements from different periods.

Only the ditches, fed by a stream, remain from the 16th-century Château de Kergariou. They mark the boundaries of the former terrace of the fortified site. Both the ditches and their position in relation to the former terrace are therefore key to understanding the site.

The covered washhouse at Kerizella is a 19th-century structure made of slate and granite. The edges of the basins, made from slate slabs that served as washing stones, have been preserved. Here, the structure’s design and a specific former use come together: the surviving slabs formed part of the washhouse’s working area.

Spring Bogs and Rivers

The landscape can also be understood through its rivers. Roc Gouino Bog is home to the sources of the Douron River. The Guernéholet peat moor is home to the source of the Guic River; part of the area lies in Plougras in the Côtes-d’Armor department. The rivers distinguish these two natural features. The section of Guernéholet in Plougras is also relevant to its geographical location.

Hiking and Mountain Biking Routes

At the beginning, the route Les sentiers buissonniers runs for 150 metres along Rue du Ponthou before joining the GR® de Pays des Monts d’Arrée. Check the current route before setting off, as route conditions can change.

The mountain biking circuit Menez Kerven VTT – 12 passes within a few hundred metres of the centre of Botsorhel and points out the church there. When comparing the routes, their respective points of reference are also useful, along with the type of activity: the hiking route is described by its connection to the GR® de Pays des Monts d’Arrée, while the circuit is described by its route near the town centre and its reference to the church.

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For the main travel overview: Finistere.