Plélan-le-Petit's heritage

This modern building is situated on a history packed site. On what to be only marshes, as the streets' toponymy tells us, were, on a mount, three crosses (which can be found at the graveyard later on). These three crosses were moved for the construction, in 1941, by the German, who were in fact Austrians, of barracks meant to house Tirailleurs sénégalais (Senegalese infantry corps), brought down into slavery to clear the earth and plant over the moors. After the war, this lugubrious place became a place for celebrations; the inhabitants of Plélan, taking on the habit, as reavenge on the past, to celebrate there the return of the war prisoners. In 1953, the townhall decided to officialy build the village hall there by enlarging the existing building. Inaugurated three years later, it became renown in the area as so many weddings, bals, bingoes take place there. Being out of standards, the village hall was torn down in 2009. A new village hall, more spacious is built next of des Garennes and, on these grounds in the centre of the village, between the schools, this cultural centre is built.

There used to be little industries in Plélan, and the granite quarries poorly worked because of a relative isolation. In the 1930's, Plélan, chef lieu de canton (administrative centre of a groupe of villages), had 980 souls. After the war, the surroundings of the streets, the village centre and the national road are built, changing the village into a street-city. The village-centre then had 7 bars, 2 bakeries, 2 butchers, 1 cobbler, 1 saddler... There are manly small shop owners and artisans. There are no entreprises, unlike Plancoët, because of a lack of roads and of port. In front of the back of the church, the old "Hôtel des voyageurs" can be found, a hotel that had 5 rooms and of a sometimes subversive reputation. 300m from there to the South, at the bottom of the playging fields, used to be a train station for the lign Jugon-Dinan, taken apart in 1938/1939. The train had four 4 wagons (3 for goods/ 1 for travelers). Plélan was a quiet village, its inhabitants united. From the 1970's onward, the good situation of the village helps the installation of new inhabitants. Its when the mairie was built with the granite extracted South of the village. Go around the building by the left and follow the street.

This humid area close to the village centre is called "les plantations". It's after the great storm of 1987 that the idea to creat a preserve zone at the beginning of the Montafilan River is born. A rehabilitation project is being lead since 1999: 1200 trees and shrubs are plantes, a walking path, a great swale and panoramic view points are designed. Nature reclaims her rights.

A first presbytary was built in 1766 and called "la Fabrique". It is administrated by clerics and seculars. Often flooded, inaccessible by rise in the water levels, it is replaced by the current building in 1890. Left after the great tempest of 1987, the municipality chose to rehabilitate it in 2010 as a common house and garden.

The washtub is an important place of the last century in the life of a village, a place to socialise. Built around 1950, it is restaure with its ladder fish and its lusqh surroundings, or old "Ondine", piece of art made in hommage of the Lavandières by Laétitia Lavieville. As to the path, in a valley where the playing noises of pupuls can be felt, it is easy to guess the cunicol origin of its name.

The graveyard was moved in 1933 to the outskirts of the village. It was first in the parochial enclosure by the church. An odd grave can be found named Nian Koi. It's the grave of a Senegalese man. Indeed, during WWII, the Germans, who were housed in locals homes (no Kommandantur), put to slavery "tirailleurs sénégalais", housed in barracks (the current meda centre) to clear the moor. Famed Nian Koi, suffering of dysentry, rebelled and refused to work. He was killed and the people of Plélan chose to welcome him into their graveyard.

The ossuary dates back to the 17th century. It was incorporated to the graveyard next to the church. The parochial presinct being abandonned, the ossuary in the way of traffic, the Germans wanted to raze it, it was moved in 1941/42. It was a collective grave used before the French Revolution. At the time of the ossuary construction, the graveyard was a living place, a fair where happy moments happen.This ossuary is in granite, of heavy architecture, the roof is made of stone slates and the aperture is decorated with two collars. In 1861, the Priest of Plélan, Father Morin, wished to bring those three crosses to make a calvary, destined to walks of Fête-Dieu. Therefore, a mound was raised, half-circular, held by a wall with a earth ramp to access it on marshes grounds where the actual Salle des Fêtes is. The three crosses were moved by some twenty metres on the road to Saint-Maudez (current Media Centre). This new place next to an electric transformer was polemical and in 1971, the municipality decided on a new change, by the graveyard. The two crosses on the sides are called "pattées" (legged), they are latin crosses with the branches wider at the end. They surround the third cross, more curious, in the shape of a Lorraine cross with two cross-pieces, with its shaft slightly curved. The pedestal of these crosses, more ancient, were chosen on the Etrat Path (road from Corseul to Vannes)

The Manoir des Fossés (Manor of the Moats) is by the source of the Montafilan Stream and, it would seem, on the Etrat path. Its location allows one to think to an occupation prior to Medieval times; many potteries have been found on the riding school's grounds. It is built on a schistous outcrop which gives it a good point and it is surrounded by a moat. It is the oldest building of Plélan-le-Petit. It dates back from the middle of the 14th century and the building visible today is only a small part of the original manor. On the east façade, five cross shaped loopholes (rafters), two gothic windows (with blinds), a carriage entrance and a pedestrian door. On the other side, the west façade gives out on a closed courtyard and has a great carriage entrance as well as a five metres hight door which was the only door to the first floor. La charpente gothique est une rareté en Bretagne. The Gothic frame is a rarity in Brittany. Some elements were discovered by René Jouffe during excavations: moat with water, mill... A notice with details is available inside the building.

Take the same path up to the sign which tell you a quite different meadow. This is a conservatory meadow: pears for poiré; a drink, close to cidre, heavily consumed in the last century.

After having followed a tasty path, full of chestnuts, you arrive in front of a school Plélan has a public school (catholic) and a private school. Tradition wanted that girls went to the public school and boys to the private school. Moreover, around 1950, a school for domestic arts was created on the place of the present supermarket, with the objective of teaching young girls how to keep a household. The obligation to obtain the brevet (national examination) meant the end of the school and pushed the young Plélannaises to go to Plancoët.

The village-centre of Plélan-le-Petit's village centre maintains a good unity. The houses, often old shopes, were built with the granite from the local quarries. Most of them dates back to the 19th century.

Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens Church (1876-1878) is designed by architect Théodore Maignan and Réglain company. It is built with stones from local quarries. The building is of a Latin cross plan, of which the transept has four chapels and the chevet and wings cut off corners. The first stone was consecrated September 17th, 1876; the church was brought to worship April 21, 1878 and consacreted by Bishop David, November 5, 1878.