The History:

 

The gites are situated in the grounds of the Manoir de Kerdeven which was built around the middle of the 16th century. There is an oak tree outside the 'Doyle' 'gite that is around 500 years old. The restored gites themselves were former farm buildings; 'Verne' was once the stables of the manoir. The Manoir de Kerdeven itself was constructed around 1557; some say that there was once a 2km tunnel connecting the manoir to a farm over the hills. The tunnel was supposedly dug out during the French Revolution to provide a safe hiding place or quick escape route. These stories are given credence by the crest above the Gothic doorway where the family Coat of Arms was said to have been effaced by peasants in revolt. In later years Kerdeven became a farm until the last family left around the 1950. Sometime after this a fire damaged much of the property and the previous owners discovered the deserted house in 1992 in a very sorry state and restored it. I, as one of the current owners, saw the house in 2016 when it was put up for sale. I fell in love with the house, gites and grounds immediately and we bought it.

While the current building is called The Manoir de Kerdeven that is not strictly true, the manoir was originally a hunting lodge believed to have been owned by the Ducs de Rohan in the 16th century. 

 

In the mid 19th century Kerdeven Manor belonged to the Le Borgne family. In 1540 this manor belonged to Henry de Quenec'hquivillic (later to be known as Quenach de Quivillic). The family name  comes from that of their original estate, which means "woodcock knoll"

The de Quenec'hquivillic family were among the oldest Breton "nobles of the sword" (the senior class of French nobility). During the Hundred Years' War they fought alongside the Breton knight and French military commander Bertrand du Guesclin (1320-1380) – nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" and "The Black Dog of Brocéliande". Later, the family were close confidants of Duchess Anne of Brittany (1477-1514), queen consort of France.

A few years later, Kerdeven manor was owned by Plezon de Mur who held it from Henry's son, Jean de Quenec'hquivillic, who was succeeded in 1575 by Tanguy de Quenec'hquivillic. In 1640 Kerdeven was owned by François Le Bouteiller, lord of Saint-Pretan, and by Marie de Coëtlogon.*

 

* Source: 

Seigneurerie de Guémené (Louis Galles, 1868), via www.infobretagne.com

 

​