CHÂTEAU DE KERJEAN between Landivisiau and Roscoff is reached by a long tree lined drive from the road. Trees planted in the parking area help screen the cars. A long drive leads to the château with a big round dove cote to the right. The château is surrounded by a dry ditch and wall. Entry is through a large gateway in the surrounding wall with the ticket office. Inside is grass. There was a plant sale the day we visited.
The château was built between 1566-95 round a central courtyard. Part of the building was burnt down in 1710 and it was confiscated during the Revolution when parts of the building were taken for building stone. It passed into state control in 1911 and although parts of the château have been restored, the main building is just a facade.
The main gateway leads into the courtyard. Ahead are the state buildings with the north west pavilion containing the Lord’s private kitchen in the basement. This has two spiral staircases; one for going down, the other for going up. The stable wing on the left housed the kitchens and servants quarters. The charter room with its massive wooden doorway and stone vaulted ceiling and barred window was here. On the right are the storage buildings which would have housed coaches, agricultural machinery and the blacksmith’s forge. The chapel pavilion is on the front right and a balustrade walk connects it to the clock tower on the left.
There is a numbered route from the corner of the storage wing through the main building. There are information boards explaining what different rooms were used for. Most rooms are unfurnished although a few have pieces of 17thC furniture. One room has box beds, storage cupboards and linen presses. Other rooms have exhibitions about the château and 16thC life.
There was an art exhibition in the château from April to early November 2011. This included ceramic sculptures and paintings by Martin Bruneau. Some of the paintings were large and took over the room so it was difficult to see the fireplace and impossible to take pictures. His work was not to our taste as it consisted of defacing 17thC paintings or black and white photos of the château
Website: http://tinyurl.com/7trybrs
Our picture are here: http://wasleys.org.uk/france/brittany_11/ab_wk3/50/index.html
