What is a motte castle?

It is an artificial earth mound on which a fortified dwelling, often a wooden or stone tower, was built.

Can visitors access the Kermain motte freely?

The site is outdoors and reachable on foot, with no known opening hours or admission fees.

How old is the Kermain motte?

It dates from the middle of the medieval period and was abandoned by the late 14th century.

Are there visible remains on top of the mound?

The summit still shows traces of a circular structure built of cut stone, likely a residential tower.

Why was the site abandoned?

Considered too outdated, it was given up when the local lords built a manor house 200 metres to the south.

Motte de Kermain

Langonnet

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Langonnet

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Motte de Kermain stands in Langonnet (Morbihan), in the Bretagne region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: Milieu du Middle Ages). No visits are on record for this building.

Near Langonnet, in a damp valley of the Morbihan, a three-metre-high earth mound preserves the remains of a medieval fortified dwelling. The surrounding ditches still hold water, fed by a diverted stream. At the top, cut stones mark the outline of a circular structure, likely a residential tower rather than a military one. The site was abandoned by the late 14th century when its lords built a manor house nearby.

Written from Motte de Kermain

What to know

The site lies in open countryside away from the village centre, on marshy ground that can be wet or muddy.
Access is on foot, with no particular facilities reported.
There are no opening hours or admission fees, as this is an outdoor, unsupervised site.
These are open-air archaeological remains, with no building to visit.
Sturdy footwear is advisable given the uneven, potentially waterlogged ground.

Where this château is

Langonnet · Morbihan · Bretagne

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

2 Kermain, 56630 Langonnet

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

Get directions View on a map

Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00135359
Period of construction: Milieu du Middle Ages

In pictures

Frequently asked

What is a motte castle?: It is an artificial earth mound on which a fortified dwelling, often a wooden or stone tower, was built.
Can visitors access the Kermain motte freely?: The site is outdoors and reachable on foot, with no known opening hours or admission fees.
How old is the Kermain motte?: It dates from the middle of the medieval period and was abandoned by the late 14th century.
Are there visible remains on top of the mound?: The summit still shows traces of a circular structure built of cut stone, likely a residential tower.
Why was the site abandoned?: Considered too outdated, it was given up when the local lords built a manor house 200 metres to the south.