With just 79 inhabitants, this is the smallest commune in the department.

THE LEGEND
There’s a legend associated with this village. “Envel and his sister Yuna, constructed their respective hermitages at Loc Envel (Envel), and to the south of the river Guic (Yuna). Thus Envel and Yuna were separated by the river. Now they had made a vow as an act of penitence to never cross the river in order to talk and pray together. One day, following a great rainstorm, the swollen torrent was cascading down with such a roar that the brother and sister were unable to hear each other speaking from the other bank. So Envel commanded the river : “Tao, tao dour mik, ma kevi kloch’h ma c’hoarik” ( “Hush, little river, so that I can hear the my little sister’s bell”). From that time on, even during the heavy autumn rains, the Guic flows noiselessly over its pebble bed”. People pray to Envel to protect livestock from sickness and wolves, and the wheat from crows.

HISTORY
During the 6th century the abbot Envel erected his hermitage on the site of today’s church. Under the monarchy and prior to the Revolution, the village came under the jurisdiction of the early parish of Plougonver. Beginning in 1740, zinc and silver was mined in the forest. In 1789, 125 people were employed in the mines, and output reached between 30 and 60 tons per annum per employee. Loc Envel, recognised as a commune in 1790, subsequently saw its position overturned, and became part of the Belle-isle-en-Terre commune in 1805, only to have its communal status restored in 1820. Prince Charles of Faucigny-Lucinge’s son, declared ineligible as deputy for Guingamp, was mayor of Loc Envel around 1900. The commune made its living from forest-related work till the beginning of the 20th century. There is evidence there of numerous lumberjacks, clog-makers and coal-miners.