How one man built his dream cottage on a Brittany clifftop

As you drive to the far western point of Brittany, you cannot fail to notice the silhouette of a tiny cottage perched on the clifftop above Le Loc’h beach in Plogoff. 

Known as le refuge, la petite maison or la maison d’Ambroise, it has been part of the landscape for decades and has a delightful story.

Ambroise L’Hénoret is a true Breton character whose gentle smile emerges through a bushy beard. 

Now 85, he can often be seen riding his bike along the local roads, followed closely by his dog, Milord. 

“My mother’s family have lived here for generations,” he says. “For centuries, this was all communal grazing land for sheep – that’s why this coastal point is called the Pointe des Moutons. 

Then it got divided up into plots, which were sold to locals for a token amount.”

By the time Ambroise was born in May 1940, the Germans were already occupying this coastline. 

“As a schoolboy, I’d spend my days off and holidays here with my grandparents, watching the sheep and gazing at the sea. I can remember even when I was about seven or eight that I wanted to build a house up there,” he says.

In 1949, Ambroise’s family moved to Bordeaux where he finished his schooling, but he returned to the Breton village every holiday and he never forgot his dream. 

In 1957, aged just 17, Ambroise bought 100m² from a local elderly lady so that he could start to build. 

“Everyone thought I was crazy, including my own parents,” he says. 

“I ran into various administrative complications, of course, but eventually I got permission, perhaps because nobody believed I’d really see it through. 

“For five years, I came back and spent my holidays going backwards and forwards, ferrying supplies up the hill using wheelbarrows and, later, a scooter. 

“After a few years, a local farmer came to my rescue and helped to transport blocks and a load of sand, which really moved things along. 

“By 1963, the bulk of the work was done, and four of us, including my father, put the roof on.”

The cottage measures approximately 40m² and is built from a combination of timber, concrete blocks and cement, with a rough render on the outside. 

The ground floor is one room with a fireplace, bench seating and a small desk. 

An open wooden staircase leads to the first floor, which serves as a sleeping area up in the eaves. 

The windows are basic, and the stable-style wooden door is bolted on the inside then latched with a simple hook. 

A strip of land perhaps two metres wide separates the back of the house from the edge of the cliff. 

It is an incredible spot for wave-watching and enjoying the panoramic views.

Ambroise originally planned to live in his cottage all year round but in the meantime he had met his wife, and they travelled to Algeria and the Congo, where Ambroise taught French and Philosophy. 

Eventually, they returned with their young son and daughter, living in Paris initially, then moving to Dordogne.

“We all spent summers in the cottage up on the cliff,” says Ambroise. 

“At one time, I even built a stone igloo there for the children, and my parents still lived lower down in the hamlet. 

“We have some happy memories of those times. In between those visits, local youngsters would sometimes break in and cause a bit of damage. So about 20 years ago, I decided to just open up the cottage and make it accessible for everyone.” 

Although the cottage was never built as a refuge, it is now used by locals who pause there when they’re out for a daily walk, hikers who pass by on the coastal path, and people seeking shelter from a sudden shower. 

“Occasionally, visitors spend the night,” says Ambroise. 

“They bring their own firewood and food and enjoy the experience of staying for a night in such an unusual spot. 

“Volunteers help to maintain it when it needs a bit of repair, and people leave comments in the visitor book; it works well.” 

The petit refuge sits on the GR34 coastal path, and is not fenced off or locked. It truly is part of the local landscape, and even appears on marine charts as a landmark for sailors.

Ambroise finally moved back to Plogoff in 2020, where he and his dog now live in a small house next to his grandparents’ former home and in easy reach of his self-built refuge. 

“One of these days, I might not be able to walk up there any more, but while I still can, I do,” he says. 

“The path is more rocky than it used to be and my legs get tired more quickly than they used to, but I spend a few nights there in the winter. It’s a special place.”

La Maison d’Ambroise sits on the GR34 coastal path between Le Loc’h beach and Pors Loubous. It is open to the public all year round.