Kerambleiz Castle: A Neo-Gothic Residence in Plomelin
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page9 sections
History
Kerambleiz Castle is a Neo-Gothic residence in France, located at Kastel in Plomelin near Quimper. Built in 1875 under the direction of Étienne Roussin, an engineer of arts and manufactures, it was intended as a home for the House of Plœuc. Neo-Gothic architecture revived medieval Gothic forms through features such as pointed arches, vertical emphasis, and historically inspired detailing. The castle later became the successive residence of the marquises of Plœuc, a hereditary title ranking below a duke and above a count.
The Plœuc Residence
The estate was acquired by René Alexandre de Plœuc, son of Alexandre Marie Sébastien de Plœuc. Born in Constantinople in 1867, René also served as mayor of Landrévarzec from 1913 to 1917. In 1908, the castle became the home of the marquis of Plœuc. At the family’s height in 1906, the household employed ten domestic servants, an English governess for the girls, and a German schoolteacher.
Financial difficulties led the marquis of Plœuc to sell Kerambleiz to the Kerdrel family around the 1930s. From the late 1940s, the building was neglected and subsequently fell into abandonment.
Wartime Communications
During the Second World War, Kerambleiz served as a base for clandestine communications with Great Britain. In March 1941, Jean Le Roux organized the first clandestine radio transmission from Quimper at the castle. He installed a transmitting antenna from the room occupied by the brothers Guy and Paul Vourch, who were temporarily hiding there. A second radio operator recruited by Le Roux to establish an antenna in Brest was arrested before he could transmit.
Conversion to a Hotel
In 1980, the property passed to the Alterio family. After four years of work, the family converted the castle into a hotel, and the Alterio family is identified as its current owner. The local name “the wolf’s house” reflects the meaning of Kerambleiz in Breton.
Remains
Kerambleiz is a Neo-Gothic château set within a 20-hectare estate extending for more than 600 metres along the Odet. The property includes woodland, meadows, a walled enclosure, a small port, and a neighbouring manor formerly used as a stable.
Estate Grounds
Park and Forest
The grounds contain a private forest crossed by numerous paths and lanes, together with undulating meadows. A walled enclosure covering half a hectare forms another defined area within the estate.
Riverfront and Port
The castle stands on the banks of the Odet and overlooks Virecourt Inlet. A small port within the estate is accessible on foot or by vehicle and provides access for pleasure boats. The property also includes views over the river.
Former Stable Manor
A neighbouring manor forms part of the property. It was formerly used as a stable and remains an associated building within the estate.
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