Church architecture, megalithic remains and woodland landscapes reflect different facets of Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust. Beaumont is home to a Neolithic site with further megalithic structures; the Forêt du Houssa offers wide forest avenues suitable for walks. The area thus spans everything from architectural and local history to woodland where you may occasionally encounter deer.
Saint-Laurent Church and its architectural history
Saint-Laurent parish church was built in the 16th century and later extensively altered. Its north chapel was formerly the seigneurial chapel of the de Beaumont family. The church also houses a polychrome limestone statue of Saint Lawrence.
Fragments of old stained-glass windows are also part of the church’s history: they were reused in the sacristy. The windows depicted Christ, Saint Lawrence and the coat of arms of the de Malestroit family; they were still visible in 1862.
Megaliths and historical remains in Beaumont
The Neolithic site of Beaumont in Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust is designated as a historic site and megalith. Its history encompasses successive periods of settlement from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. The surviving megalithic structures in Beaumont include a covered gallery. About 30 metres west of the site stands a menhir, with engraved figures visible on its upper surface.
The manor house of Beaumont is also part of the area’s historical character. It is the surviving remnant of a substantial 15th-century manor house that belonged to the de Malestroit family. Beaumont in Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust is also home to a covered well. The covered well is a separate structure; by contrast, only the remains of a 15th-century building survive of the manor house.
The Oust’s rocky terrain and the Forêt du Houssa
Several rocks stand perpendicular to the Oust, giving Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust a pronounced relief. The Beaumont site lies on uneven terrain above the Oust Valley. The rocks shape the relief of the commune; the site itself lies on uneven ground above the Oust Valley.
The Forêt du Houssa is located in Beaumont and covers 80 hectares. Its wide forest avenues are suitable for walks; some of the avenues are also accessible with a pushchair. This qualification is important when planning: it applies to some of the forest avenues, not to the forest as a whole. You may occasionally encounter deer there.
Different ways to spend your stay
The church was built in the 16th century, while the manor-house remains belong to a 15th-century building; the Beaumont site, by contrast, includes settlements dating from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. If you would rather spend time in the forest, the avenues of the Forêt du Houssa offer a separate option for a walk.
Discover more destinations: Cadouarn, Penestin, Le Guerno, Plouay, Saint-Dolay, Arzal, Sarzeau, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon
For the broader travel overview: Morbihan.
