The oak, the most sacred of trees
This is the most spectacular: the Guillotin Oak, located in Concoret, boasts a circumference of 9.65 m and an impressive age of about 1000 years! Its tortuous trunk hides a hollow in which a dozen people could enter. Legend has it that a refractory priest named Guillotin took refuge there during the Revolution. Younger by 600 years, the oak of Hindrés in Paimpont extends its clawed branches a few steps from the Tomb of Merlin.
The Oak of Anatole le Braz, at the forges of Paimpont, is so called in memory of a conference inspired to the writer by its foliage.
The sentinels of the imaginary!”
Solidly planted in Campénéac, soaring 20 m high, the chestnut tree of Pas aux biches cheerfully makes us forget its 400 years. The Beech of Ponthus in Paimpont is one of the jewels of the forest. For 3 centuries, it has been protected by korrigans. Near the fountain of Barenton, its foliage distils a magical atmosphere. Also imbued with mystery, the Beech of the Traveler is set back from the road. Looking for it is utopian. It is he who comes to you, creating an unforgettable and magnificent encounter.
In La Chapelle-Caro, a 600 year old yew tree borders the church, watched over by Maurice. Elsewhere, it is attentive owners, agents of the ONF or elves who take care of the multi-century old trees.
Always a new sap!
Echoing the ancestral forest and its star trees, men reinterpret nature by designing parks and gardens. In the 19th century, the castles of Kerguéhennec and Loyat were surrounded by flowerbeds and alleys. Species from America were planted in dialogue with chestnut, oak and hornbeam trees. Magnificent specimens are displayed in the middle of the lawns. More recently, the arboretum of Point Clos or the Gardens of Brocéliande are growing new ideas by implanting fruit trees or botanical conservatories, collections approved by the national conservatory of plant collections.
Text written by Annick André.
Michel Jamoneau Chêne des Hindres en forêt de Brocéliande
