There are in the canton two forests with mysterious names that will delight you with their walks in close proximity to Nature. Open your eyes wide, and you’ll see deer, strange-looking mushrooms, or an owl.
In 1714 the forest was known as Coatmec. Coat means “wood” whilst An Hay derives from “an Neh” meaning height or hill. It’s a phonetic analogy between the Breton and French.
A more contemporary explanation is that Coat an Noz simply means “Night Wood” whilst Coat an Hay means “Day Wood”. These names are thought to have derived from the fact that Coat an Noz is on the west side, and Coat an Hay on the east. The forests are mostly made up of broad-leaved trees – ash, oak and chestnut. The rest are made up of conifers – Douglas and Larission pine trees.
Walks and hikes
The 2 forests are home to several circular walks as well as horse trails and mountain bike tracks.
- 2 botanical walks (leave from near the Coat an Noz chateau
- a 10 kms circuit “Between day and night”
- Coat an Hay and moor walk, 14 kms circuit
- GR 34A
- Mountain bike circuits from 14 to 67 kms
- Horse-riding trails
For more information on walks, click here
Some history
Prior to the period of great land clearance (10th-12th centuries), the Beffou, Coat an Noz, Coat an Hay, Avaugour, Meur and the Hermitage woods and forests were all part of the same forest area. In 1780 the forest covered 2,400 hectares. In that year, the great furnace was lit to produce metal at the ironworks at Loc Envel. Minerals such as iron, lead, silver and galena were found there. During this period, all the wood cut was used for smelting, and by 1860 the forest only covered a region of 700 hectares. By 2005, it had grown again by 95 hectares to a total of 795 hectares, made up of 368 in the Coat an Noz, and 427 in the Coat an Hay. It was in 1766 that the firm that mined in Poullaouen near Huelgoat, obtained mining rights for 3 years. These mine-workings were quite significant on the banks of the Leguer. All the wood was used in the Loc Envel ironworks.
Since 1946 the forest has been state-owned and run by the National Forestry Office – prior to this it changed hands several times. In the smelting period (prior to the 19th century), the Coat an Noz and Hay forests belonged to the Marquis of Suffren. In the 1st half of the 19th century they belonged to the Sesmaison family, then to the Faucigny-Lucinge family, who built the existing Coat an Noz chateau. Between 1923 and 1929 the land changed hands twice until bought by Lord Mond as a 60th birthday gift for his wife.
A legend to make you tremble…
At the Cap, the highest point of the forests, you will find yourself surrounded by boxwood, a mark of the Roman occupation. However, it’s also a place of legend because it is the home of the horseman of the Cap. The story is told of how once a year, the horseman leaves his den and criss-crosses the region armed with a sword of fire and riding a silver horse. He destroys everything in his path.
THE BEFFOU FOREST
Located partially in the communes of Loguivy Plougras and La Chapelle Neuve, the Beffou forest, spanning an area of 620 hectares, will delight walkers and Nature lovers with its variety of paths and species. Two roads cut across the forest – the Loguivy – Callac road and an old Roman road.
To look out for in the forest
- Le Pave, highest point in the Tregor at 322 metres
- The Comprejou lake, lived in by a mysterious otter
- The burial chamber of Brohet, megalithic monument dating back to the 3rd millennium before Christ.
Center