Gouesnou is a commune in Finistère, in the Brittany region, north-east of Brest, with which it borders.
Covering an area of 12 km², its territory is crossed by the Plenfeld, a coastal river which flows into the bay of Brest and it is now occupied in its southern part by a vast activity zone.
Historically, vestiges testifying to an active Gallo-Roman presence have been unearthed to the west of the current town. Later, a monastery was founded in the 7th century by Goueznou, a hermit from what is now the United Kingdom. It will also give its name to the locality... The monastery will also last, and the village developing over the centuries, it also became a military stronghold. From the second half of the 20th century, the fate of Gouesnou is even more linked to that of the Brest conurbation. In 1944 and 1945, the town was thus affected by the fighting and bombardments which affected the port of Brest and the region. With some 6,200 inhabitants, Gouesnou has preserved, despite the war, part of its heritage and some areas of rural appearance. With an extensive leisure offer, this makes it a stage of interest during a stay in the region.
In terms of heritage, the major site of the town is its parish enclosure. It dates mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries, a period in which there was nothing left of the original 7th century monastery! We can also think that several buildings and priories followed one another until the 16th century when the then church was considered too small and too low...
The enclosure including, like many others in Brittany, a church and a fountain opens with a triumphal door decorated with statues of Saint John and the Virgin. The church for its part dates from 1552 and was enlarged from 1607. We can see its Beaumanoir style apse, a Renaissance style font, an altarpiece with twisted columns at the altar... Restored in 1970 after having been very affected in 1945, it houses a rich statuary and contemporary stained glass windows by Le Chevallier (restored in 2010). The church is adjoined by a Renaissance-style devotional fountain, the waters of which were once known to cure skin ailments. More recent, a chapel dedicated to Sainte-Anne (19th century) completes the enclosure, which is protected as historical monuments.
Still to be seen in terms of heritage, in addition to the many crosses that mark the paths, the ruins of the castle of Mesléan (16th and 17th century), among which elements of its facade, towers, traces of fortifications such as a curtain covered with Granite slabs, pierced with loopholes and equipped with machicolations. Finally, the Château du Bois, of medieval origin, in the center of an estate which was the property of various noble families and then, in the 18th century, of shipowners from Saint-Malo. The property is still private.
To better understand the history of the city, its heritage and what was once the daily life of the inhabitants, a visit to the associative museum of the Friends of Heritage is interesting. For example, we discover a reconstructed Breton interior (furniture and costumes), an evocation of the schools of yesteryear, the two world wars... The volunteers offer occasional guided tours of the parish enclosure in addition (on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during summer). Open one Sunday per month from October to June, Friday and Saturday in July and August. Free admission. Information on +33 2 98 33 50 50.
On the cultural side again, the Henri Queffélec center regularly hosts concerts and conferences (information on +33 2 98 37 37 83) and the media library programs for its part animations, exhibitions, meetings (information on +33 2 98 37 37 83).
In terms of sport, a skate park is available in the locality and for a game of tennis, it is possible to book a court with the local club on +33 6 28 38 76 04.
Finally, for lovers of walks or hikes, a "discovery" route has been designed on the territory of Gouesnou (departure from rue de la Fontaine with a 10 km route and three possible variants to complete it). It is also possible from the city to join the coast or the city of Brest. Maps and information on +33 2 98 37 37 50 (town hall) or +33 2 98 44 24 96 (tourist office of the agglomeration).
