How to navigate with google earth

PILOTAGE

54 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MARCH 2016

closed) swings open at 0930, 1030, 1130,

1400, 1600, 1800 and 1900 from April-

September. The bridge-keeper opens on

the dot, but only if there is a yacht in sight

• so don’t be late! When you head back
  downriver, there is a waiting pontoon just
  above the bridge, but with no shore access.
  The fi nal stop before Redon is at Rieux,
  on the west bank, with two long pontoons
  as well as fore-and-aft moorings, known

village of Rieux is just a short walk uphill

from here and has a couple of bars, a

pharmacy and shops for basic provisions.

Continue upstream and it takes half

an hour or so to reach the historic town

of Redon. You will spot the spire of its

grand former abbey church soon after

casting off from Rieux. Redon has a small

marina with basic facilities in the former

commercial basin in the heart of the town.

There is a supermarket nearby, a cinema

and theatre, and TGV trains to Saint Malo

(for the ferry) or Paris. It is possible to

dismast here and enter the Brittany canal

system. Most cruising sailors, however,

will probably head back downstream to

enjoy, once again, the delights of this

tranquil and unspoilt river. W

as corps morts. Water and electricity are

available near the pontoons, but you’ll

need a long cable. The real delight of

Rieux, apart from the peaceful location,

is its ruined medieval castle, perched on a

steep mound and largely hidden from view

by trees. This was once a site of strategic

importance, where the river could be

forded at low tide. In Romano-Gallic times

there was a town here called Duretie, and

a bridge linked the two banks. Later, in

about 1250, the Lords of Rieux, one of the

most powerful Breton families, built their

château here. It gave them a commanding

view across the marshes and enabled them

to levy tolls on all merchandise such as

wine and salt that crossed their bridge –

a wooden structure with a lifting ‘apron’

at its apex. The bridge is long gone and

the castle has been abandoned since the

1750s. But some tall walls remain, and

a high gatehouse with a reconstructed

bridge across the defensive ditch.

Perhaps just as fascinating are some

amazing sculptures of giant birds roughly

hewn from logs, the work of Russian artist

Nicolas Polissky. These festoon the trees

and even perch on the castle walls. Back

to the river, the nearby campsite has a

restaurant and toilets and a small mooring

fee may be payable in high season. The

The reconstructed bridge and castle ruins at Rieux

Wooden sculptures of giant birds adorn the trees

around the castle at Rieux, the work of a Russian artist

The river at Rieux is wide and

peaceful and the landscape

reminiscent of East Anglia

The Pont du Cran opening from downstream. There is limited free mooring available alongside

The small marina at Redon. The spire of the church
PHOTO BELOW: ALAMY dominates the skyline and can be seen from Rieux

PHOTOS: RICHARD BARTON-WOOD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED