La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert: Hilly Landscape and Cultural Heritage

La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert combines a hilly landscape with a varied architectural history. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip here, the valleys, bocage landscape and historic buildings offer concrete points of reference to help you decide what interests you during your stay. The Couesnon forms part of the southern boundary of the commune.

Hilly Landscape and Bocage

The commune lies in a hilly landscape where broad valleys with gentle profiles sit alongside narrow valleys with steep slopes. The incised valleys running through La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert include the Touru Valley. The different valley shapes give the landscape a varied character: broad, more gently shaped areas alternate with narrower ravines.

The open bocage landscape also shapes the area. It is divided by earth banks planted with various tree species, particularly oaks and broom. The interplay of valleys and tree-covered banks offers a different way of approaching the area's history than its buildings do: it draws attention to the character of the landscape and its defining features.

Church and Chapel: Local Architectural History

The parish church of Saint-Aubert dates partly from the 16th century, with extensions added in the 18th century. Its choir probably dates from the 15th century. The ground plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, the choir has a flat end, and the bell tower is a wall bell tower. The church also houses a 16th-century statue of Notre-Dame du Pont, which came from the chapel at Pont-Notre-Dame.

The Notre-Dame-du-Pont Chapel was built before 1603, probably in the first half of the 16th century. Today, only its four walls remain, protected by a new roof. In the 20th century, the chapel was converted into a pigsty and a shed. Its history and the statue that came from it link two of the area's documented architectural and cultural heritage themes.

Another architectural detail can be found at the privately owned Manoir de Gelle. A notable feature is an axial door on the north façade: its straight lintel is moulded in the shape of a pointed arch. The building, probably the former Manoir du Pont-Notre-Dame, was built in 1656 and later converted into a farm. Both examples add evidence of other building types and uses to the architectural history of the church and chapel.

Chemin Chasles and Circuit du Vendelais

Chemin Chasles is a surviving fragment of the former Jublains–Corseul road and a significant relic from the Gallo-Roman period. At Pont-Notre-Dame, the route crosses the Couesnon. During work there, the foundations of a Gallo-Roman building were uncovered around 1863. The road alignment, river crossing and archaeological site give this place an archaeological significance distinct from the architectural history of the church.

The Circuit du Vendelais is described as a 10.6-kilometre walk with 130 metres of elevation gain and a stated duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The starting point is listed as the car park by the church in La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert. According to route data last reviewed in December 2024, the trail runs between La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert and Vendel along the Couesnon and is marked in yellow. The route data was published in 2018. Check local conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Talensac, Tremblay, Melesse, Bruz, Baulon, Lanhélin, Ercé-en-Lamée, Saint-Lunaire.

For the main travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.