At Ploufragan is an allée couverte, buried in brambles. The church is modern with a spindly tower and spire.
At La Méaugon is a fine railway viaduct in two stages. The church has in one window a small but admirably drawn representation of the patron saint S. Meugaint, and a carved granite Calvary in the churchyard. Some remains of the screen removed to the west end.
Pledran. A vitrified fort. The vitrification was done by fires lighted in the depth of the wall. As the result was not satisfactory, the face outwards was subsequently banked up.
Saint Jean Brévelay (M.) chl. d'arr Ploermel. On the side of the road to Vannes, near Kerdramel, are two menhirs. A kilometre west of le Moustoir, on the Lande de Coh-Coet, a large dolmen formed of three blocks only; the coverer is 18 feet long. It has the ruins of an allée couverte leading to it. A kilometre south of it is a menhir 18 feet high. The natives of this district fled to England from the Northmen in the 9th cent., and brought back with them, when returning some relics of S. John of Beverley, Archbishop of York, who died in 721.
Plumelec. Between Trégoët and Kersimon is an allée couverte. In the coppice of Château Béauce a large dolmen called Migourdy, which on being explored yielded fragments of a figure of Venus Anadyomene, and a coin of Diocletian, showing that it had been utilised for some unknown purpose in historic times. It is supposed that the place owes its name to S. Meletius, B. of London, who died in 624, and that the refugees to England brought back his relics. But this is not probable; it must have been called plou after a founder of the clan, and the title of plou would hardly have attached to relics. The church is modern; the Chapel of S. Aubin is of 1513, and has some curious carving on the capitals, a fox preaching to geese, etc. Above the N. transept rises a slated spire.
Guéhenno. A modern church, but the porch of 1547 has been preserved. In the graveyard is a fine Calvary of the 16th cent., the finest in Morbihan. On it are numerous single figures as well as groups. It was taken down and buried at the time of the Revolution, so as to preserve it, and was restored in 1855. The Republican ruffians burnt the church. P. on 1st Sunday in September.
Saint Malo (I.V.) chl. d'arr. Occupies the old island of S. Aaron. It is now united to Rocabey by an embankment, the Sillon, along which runs a tramline. The town is walled in and a pleasant walk is on them; the circuit of the walls may thus be made. The castle is of the 15th cent.; it is square with flanking towers. Six gates give admission to the town, in which the streets are very narrow and odorous, and the houses lofty. At the highest point of the island, but smothered among houses, is the Chapel of S. Aaron (Aelhaiarn). This Welsh hermit occupied the island when S. Malo arrived. The cathedral is of the 14th cent. The choir is very English in character, with a square east end. The nave is of the 12th cent. but W. front and sides have been entirely Italianised. The fine central spire was added in 1859, and was the gift to the town of Napoleon III. The tide at S. Malo rises to an extraordinary height. At ebb by a causeway the islets of le Grand and le Petit Bey can be reached. On the nearest are ruins of a castle, and the tomb of Châteaubriant. On the further is a fort that is not occupied. In the offing is the island of Cézambre. Here S. Brendan, when obliged to quit Ireland, founded a monastery, in or about 524; and when S. Malo arrived about a quarter of a century later, he was well received by the abbot and monks on it. There are a cave and a chapel of S. Brendan on the island. But the Government has extended the fortifications on Cézambre and no one without a special authorisation is now allowed to set foot on the island. In S. Malo there are a little museum and a passable library in the Hôtel de Ville. The Breton museum in the Cassino should be visited. It contains good specimens of local carved oak, and chambers fitted with lit-clos, and figures in costume. A flying bridge invented by a native, who invested all his capital in it, connects S. Malo with S. Servan. S. Servan, Dinard, Paramé, are watering places.
S. Servan. The cité marks the site of the ancient city of Aleth and the substructions of the early cathedral have been discovered there. The seat of the bishopric was removed from Aleth to S. Malo by S. John of the Grate, the Bishop in 1142. The reason for the change was the insecurity of Aleth, whereas it was possible to thoroughly fortify the island of Aaron.
Paramé is a watering place, with a low shelving shore, facing north and miserably cold in winter, dusty in summer, and detestable at all times, except to such as frequent the gaming tables.
Saint Méen (I.V.) chl. arr. Montfort. A dull town in uninteresting country. It was the seat of an abbot, head of an important abbey in the Middle Ages. In 1554, S. Samson of Dol, who was engaged in working up a revolt against Conmore the Regent of Domnonia, sent his nephew Mevan across the great central forest to Vannes, probably to consult with Gildas, and to ascertain whether any assistance could be obtained from Count Weroch. On his way, Mevan lighted on a clearing in the forest, where now stands the little town bearing his name. In this clearing lived a British colonist, named Cadvan, who welcomed him and invited him to establish a lann hard by and take over the religious charge of his colony. Mevan agreed, and when Cadvan died, as he had no children, he bequeathed the whole of his plou to Mevan as well as the lann already granted. This was the origin of the abbey, and around the abbey grew the town. The abbey is now turned into a petit séminaire. The nave of the church was pulled down in 1771. The tower belongs to the end of the 12th cent. The transept is of the 13th cent. The choir is of the 14th cent. In the church is the tomb of S. Méen or Mevan, a granite sarcophagus. A pretty chapel of the 12th cent. turned into a sacristy. A Holy Well of S. Méen.