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Origin and history

Kérépol Manor House is a 16th and 17th century building located in Plouaret, in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany. It consists of a main house body to the west, framed by two wings of outbuildings (north and south) forming a closed courtyard with a double door (charter and pedestrian). This manor house, both seigneurial residence and farm, illustrates the Breton rural architecture of the modern era, combining defensive and symbolic function.

The seigneury of Kérépol belonged to the family of Kergariou, one of the oldest in Brittany, whose members bore the title of lords over several parishes in the vicinity. The house, originally eastward oriented, was enlarged in the 17th century by the addition of a south wing, while defensive scaffolds (reconstituted during recent restorations) flanked the south gable. These architectural elements, inspired by neighbouring mansions like those of Goaz Ru or Guernanchanay, underline the prestige of the local lords.

The manor house has been partially listed as historical monuments since 18 March 1991, covering specifically the house and the wall with its double door. Its toponym, evoked in the forms Kerepaul (18th century) or Kepol (1835), derives from the Breton Kêr (village). Isolated in the countryside, 1.1 km from the village of Plouaret, the site is also marked by its proximity to the Paris-Brest railway line (inaugrated in 1865), which changed historical accesses.

The archives mention members of the family of Kergariou, such as Olivier (died 1684), lord of Kerrespol, or Toussaint, cited in 1690 in an act of sale. In 1702, Charles de Kergariou's marriage with Gillette Perrine de Pellissier was attested to in Plouaret. Their coat of arms (silver squeezed with mouths) and their motto ("Where else, Kergariou") testify to their aristocratic anchor. The outbuildings, organized around the courtyard, included stables, stables, and cellars, reflecting an agro-seigneurial economy typical of the Ancien Régime Brittany.

The restoration of the manor house allowed the reconstitution of the circular scallops, inspired by local models of the 16th and 17th centuries (such as those of the Kerariou mansion or the Kerroué castle). These watchtowers, symbols of power, were also defences against intrusions. Their reconstruction is based on archaeological remains, including cul-de-lampe consoles and granite masonries. The site, now protected, offers a preserved example of Breton manorial architecture, mixing medieval heritage and Renaissance adaptations.

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