Guardhouse (Île Grande)

Pleumeur-Bodou

About

The guardhouse, TyGward in Breton, is an imposing block of granite which stands at the highest point of Île Grande. Right around the periphery of the island, grey and blue granite was mined for several centuries, contributing to the area's renown. Walking around the area, you can find traces of the mining activity and imagine the work of the quarrymen. Following the paths which snake through the heather, you will arrive at a rock formation nicknamed "Le Lion" (the Lion), not far from the statue of a stonecutter. The granite for the construction of the viaduct at Morlaix was extracted from the adjacent old quarry, whose face is impressively large. Opposite you is the outline of Île du Corbeau. This island was an important site for the extraction of blue granite.