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Liscuis 1 allée couverte
Trip No.203 Entry No.583 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
Liscuis 1 allée couverte submitted by greywether on 26th Jun 2005. Well-preserved allee couverte with surviving stones marking the edge of the mound and an end cell. Photo from E showing end cell. June 1994.
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Log Text: There are three allée couvertes here on the hilltop on the ridge overlooking the river Dourla, and beside the busy GR37 footpath. They are signposted from all around, and are several hundred metres walk uphill and along the ridge from a little car park. They are all suffering badly from neglect and vandalism, which is a great shame as I was reading a book from 25 years ago which says that they have only recently been discovered and are in a wonderful condition and almost complete. I guess it doesn't help that the rock is a very splitty dark grey slate type rock, which now it is exposed takes little to break it. While I was up there, many people walked past, many kicking the stones as they went, with children (and adults) jumping up and down on them.
Right beside the busy (on a June Sunday afternoon) GR37 footpath, this allée couverte is suffering badly from neglect and vandalism. The chamber is 11 metres in length, and oriented to the east at 070°. Just two capstones are in place on the chamber which varies from 1 metre wide at the ends, to 2 metres wide at the middle. Part of the surrounding mound survives. There is a terminal cell at the western end, and a doorstone at the eastern end.
Coët Correc allée couverte
Trip No.203 Entry No.584 Date Added: 8th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3
Coët Correc allée couverte submitted by greywether on 26th Jun 2005. Detail of the entrance and porthole at the E end.
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Log Text: A few kilometres to the east of Liscuis can be found this nice allée couverte. Once off the busy N.?? Road, it is thankfully signposted, as it's a bit of a tortuous journey to get there. From a parking place up a steep lane, it's then several hundred metres of walking, some of which is overgrown, to find the monument.
Once you get there, you are immediately taken aback by what has happened to it, presumably as an act of christianisation, as a large double staircased calvary has been built right over the end of the chamber ! A most interesting feature !
The prehistoric remains are of an 11 metre long allée couverte, facing east at 095°, but with a lateral entry on the southern side near the eastern end. The main chamber is about 1.5 metres wide, up to 2 metres tall, and is paved, but has only the two westernmost capstones still in place. There is a little vestibule arrangement south of the entry, which is blocked off with two doorstones, which have an oval entrance carved into them, which is only just big enough for me to squeeze through, a very nice feature. A pity it was all a bit overgrown though.
Champ des Roches
Trip No.203 Entry No.596 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4
Champ des Roches submitted by thecaptain on 2nd Jul 2005. Signpost at the site.
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Log Text: Just behind the churchyard to the south of the village of Pléslin and well signposted is this “field of rocks” which is kept in a nice and shady oak garden and included on a couple of signposted local walks. I didn’t know of this place beforehand despite having been near it several times before, it not being far from St-Malo, yet it is described as Brittany’s third most important site (which seems a bit over the top considering some of the other places).
What it basically consists of these days is about 70 big white quartz stones arranged in 5 lines perhaps 6 which are not quite parallel as they converge towards the east and apparently focus on a large stone of which I found no obvious evidence. It really is a nice quiet calming place away from all the busy roads and bustle of this part of Brittany.
Why are these stones here ? Well legend tells us it was the fairies who were building Mont St-Michel who got tired carrying their stones out to sea and they dropped them here.
Just to the north of the stones is an open field with various structures within it which is used for a festival each year to celebrate the stones. It’s been happening longer than anyone can tell on or around the Fete St Pierre. This year (2005) the “Fête des Megalithes” will happen on Saturday July 16th and there will be a big feast bands playing dancing and fireworks. Within this festival ground there is a large gravel circle with 8 telegraph poles arranged around the outside and then a further 4 at the cardinal points positioned outside them. Various other poles are dotted about some with white painted bottoms some with black. I like to think it is for some ancient dancing and festivity but my sister told me it was probably for a large tent. Surely any tent would come with its own poles !
As I said I didn’t know of this lovely place before I learn something every day. It had a lovely atmosphere and was very pleasant to just sit there in the shade.
Thiemblais menhir
Trip No.203 Entry No.597 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4
Thiemblais menhir submitted by thecaptain on 16th May 2007. Thiemblais, or St-Samson, menhir, near to Dinan. The signpost.
From what I saw of the carvings on the south side of the menhir in reality, the drawings on the signboard do not do it justice.
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Log Text: This is a truly wonderful 8 metre long granite menhir, which can be found signposted along a little track just to the east of the village of St Samson.
Although it leans at about 45°, it is beautifully shaped and has multitudes of carvings and engravings all over it. Apparently those on the flat western face are easy to see at mid day, but when I was here at 7:00pm, I could barely make anything out. I could, however, clearly see some of the carvings on the two sides, with the shadows being cast in just the right direction. All of the usual neolithic symbols are here, crosses, axes, squares, palettes and serpents.
A nice legend of the stone is that any young girl who wants to get married should climb to the top of the stone, and side down in their "birth knickers", and they will become wed within the year. It is also supposed to be one of the three menhirs that block the entrance to hell. A real fantastic find.
Doigt de Gargantua (Côtes-D'Armor)
Trip No.203 Entry No.591 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
Doigt de Gargantua (Côtes-D'Armor) submitted by thecaptain on 26th Oct 2008. When I was here on a late June afternoon in 2005, the bushes surrounding the giant's finger had grown substantially since my previous visit several years earlier, and now the views from here are severely limited. Before there was a tremendous panorama of all the sea and headlands around, and with the fort below.
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Log Text: This 2.5 metre tall, thin menhir stands guard beside the footpath overlooking the splendid Forte de la Latte, at the headland of the same name to the east of Cap Fréhel. On a late June Monday afternoon it was very busy here, and getting a space in the car park was a problem. The bushes surrounding the giant's finger have grown substantially since my last visit several years ago, and now the views from here are severely limited. Before there was a tremendous panorama of all the sea and headlands around, and with the fort below. Not so now.
Dolmen de Ville Goudier
Trip No.203 Entry No.595 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
Dolmen de Ville Goudier submitted by thecaptain on 20th Dec 2008. Marked as a menhir on the ign maps, there is a large stone standing here which can be seen from the D.768 road across a field of wheat, underneath a pine tree near to the Trégon water tower.
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Log Text: Marked as a menhir on the ign maps, this large standing stone can be seen from the D.768 road across a field of wheat, about 100 metres away and underneath a pine tree near to the Trégon water tower. I could initially see no way of getting any nearer, and I estimated it to be about 2 metres high. However, I later found a way round the back.
The stone is about 2 metres tall and fairly chunky. There are lots of other large stones around here also, perhaps field clearance, or perhaps this is the remains of a tomb of some kind.
Ville-Tinguy dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.594 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
Ville-Tinguy dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 20th Dec 2008. Despite supposedly having a footpath to it, and being only 80 metres to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, this dolmen proved difficult for me to get right up to, in its field of barley.
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Log Text: Despite supposedly having a footpath to it, and being only 80 metres to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, this dolmen proved difficult for me to get right up to, in its field of barley. I have seen it described as an allée couverte, but it looked more like a simple dolmen to me, unless there is much of it ruined and not visible amongst the crops. At least one capstone is held up proudly in place for all to see as they drive past.
Ville Pichard Cairn
Trip No.203 Entry No.588 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3
Ville Pichard cairn submitted by theCaptain on 29th Jun 2012. The view looking northwest from this cairn
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Log Text: High up on the clifftop near Pléneuf-Val-André overlooking the sea in two directions can be found this very overgrown cairn. Despite getting near after a very long walk round the coastal path, I could not get to the actual cairn through the gorse and brambles. Supposedly the remains of three dolmenic chambers with entry passages can be seen in the mound with drystone chambers, but there was no chance of seeing any of that for me on my visit. But what a fantastic place this is.
Ville Hamon Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.590 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5
Ville Hamon Dolmen submitted by theCaptain on 30th Jun 2012. It was probably a very large dolmen with entry passage, but the stones have mostly broken into a heap.
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Log Text: This poor thing is a bit of a mess. Difficult to find without a detailed map, but only a few dozen metres from a track, on top of a good sized mound, to the east of the town of Erquy. What remains is basically a large jumble of stones on top of a mound. It was probably a very large dolmen with entry passage, but the stones have mostly broken into a heap. One large section of capstone still sits on two bits of upright, but the rest is all on the ground. The stones cover an area about 6m by 6m, and several edge set slabs can be made out. Thankfully it is all tended to, and the undergrowth had been recently cut when I visited.
La Hautière
Trip No.203 Entry No.593 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
La Hautière submitted by theCaptain on 18th Mar 2014. This is a fairly large allée couverte in a field to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, which had just been cropped for hay when I visited in 2005, so it was easy to get to.
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Log Text: This is a fairly large allée couverte in a field to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, which had just been cropped for hay when I visited, so it was easy to get to. The main passage is about 14 metres long, oriented to 155°, and has 6 capstones still in place. Many of the sidestones have fallen inwards, so there is not much of a covered passageway left, more a long pile of stones ! The large western endstone can still be seen in its place though.
Ville Bellanger allée couverte
Trip No.203 Entry No.589 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Ville Bellanger allée couverte submitted by theCaptain on 19th Mar 2014. Just beside the D.52 road can be found this allée couverte, either in somebody's garden, or a little public area beside.
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Log Text: Just beside the D.52 road, 3 km north of the village, and a km south of La Bouille and all its industrial sites, can be found this allée couverte, either in somebodies garden, or a little public area besides. The remains are a bit of a jumble, but an allée almost 10 metres long aligned at 050° is clear. Whether it has an external cell at the western end, or whether its a fallen capstone I can not be sure, but the chamber appears to be divided. A pleasant little find, and lots of nice foxgloves growing here at the time of my visit.
Ville Génouhan allée couverte
Trip No.203 Entry No.592 Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4
Ville Génouhan allée couverte submitted by theCaptain on 20th Mar 2014. Remains of a fairly standard looking allée couverte 12 metres long with still 6 capstones in place. Most of the sidestones seem to have collapsed inwards, making much of it look like not much more than a long pile of stones.
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Log Text: Just to the south of the busy D.786 road between ND de Guildo and Trégon can be found the remains of this allée couverte. I find it strange that although it is signposted, has got a little parking area, is kept within a little grassed area within a field of maize, and has got several hundred metres of well tended footpath to it, the monument itself is left to become thoroughly overgrown.
It's the remains of a fairly standard looking allée couverte 12 metres long with orientation 125°, and there are still 6 capstones in place. Most of the sidestones seem to have collapsed inwards, making much of it not much more than a long pile of stones.
Champ Dolent Menhir
Trip No.203 Entry No.602 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5
Champ Dolent menhir submitted by thecaptain on 6th Jul 2005. Champ Dolent menhir.
At more than 9 metres tall, its a bigg 'un.
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Log Text: This is a glorious 9 metre tall shaped and sculpted granite menhir, the stone for which has been brought here from over 4 kilometres away. It stands high on a little hillock overlooking the ancient city of Dol, with the rock which has been inhabited for many thousands of years just beyond that. At its base is another small and polished stone, the origins of which are unknown.
Looking carefully at parts of the stone in the shadow, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are carvings on it. Having seen St Samson, it seems possible to make out various crosses and lines and daggers. Or is this just me seeing things now ?
This is of course another stone surrounded by legends and folklore. It is said to be here to commemorate a great battle perhaps. It is also said that it was thrown down from the sky by an over seeing being in order to separate two fighting brothers. Whatever, it is a most wonderful stone. Come and see it for yourselves.
St-Benoit polissoir
Trip No.203 Entry No.605 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Polissoir
Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5
St-Benoit polissoir submitted by thecaptain on 14th Oct 2005. St Benoit polissoir, near St James.
Not a million miles from Mont St Michel, this lovely polissoir stone is nowadays nicely kept in a little garden type area beside the lane.
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Log Text: I was understanding that this polissoir stone was going to be difficult to find, but thought that I'd give it a go. Luckily for me, since the source of my information was written, it's all been tidied up into a nice little area and signposted. It's about 800m from the village of St Bénoit, up the D.363 to the east, beside the little stream.
The stone itself is a sort of white quartz, about 1.2 metres in length and flat on the ground. In the top face are three polishing bowls, one large, and up to 16 polishing grooves. The little stream which provides its water source to lubricate the polishing is rich in iron ore, and this has caused the stone to stain a rust red colour in its cracks and grooves.
The stone has been dated to 4000BC. Legends have become associated with such a stone, one being that it can cure colic in horses if they are walked around the stone three times, then made to drink the iron rich water within its basins.
Terriffic, I love these polissoir stones.
La Roche Longue (St-Marcan)
Trip No.203 Entry No.603 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
La Roche Longue (St-Marcan) submitted by thecaptain on 6th Mar 2007. Probably 3 to 4 metres tall, in a field near the cemetary to the east of the village of St Marcan, on a slope overlooking the marshes of the bay of Mont St Michel.
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Log Text: A large slab sided menhir, about 3 metres tall with its wide sides oriented east and west, in a field near to the cemetary to the east of the village of St Marcan, on a slope overlooking the marshes of the bay of Mont St Michel. Whilst I couldn’t get right to it, the menhir is easily visible from the roadside. About 800 metres to the south of this menhir used to stand another similar menhir 2 metres tall, which was destroyed in the 1930s
La Ganterie
Trip No.203 Entry No.598 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4
La Ganterie submitted by thecaptain on 7th Mar 2007. The allée couverte is signposted along a trackway into a wood, and just 50m along this well tended path the remains are to be found. It is almost impossible to see what is here though, as it is all extremely overgrown.
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Log Text: Just beside the D.676 Dinan to Dol road, at the top of the hill to the east of the hamlet of La Ganterie where the road is a dual carriageway, there is a place to park. From here the allée couverte is signposted along a trackway into a wood, and just 50m along this well tended path the remains are to be found. It is almost impossible to see what is here though, as it is all totally overgrown. It might be a very long allée couverte going by the length of the bramble growth.
I find it very odd that the signposts and path are so well tended, yet the monument is so completely neglected. Never mind, it is still here with us.
Menhir dit la Pierre du Domaine
Trip No.203 Entry No.601 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4
Menhir dit la Pierre du Domaine submitted by thecaptain on 8th Mar 2007. This 4 metre tall menhir can be found just to the west of the road around the east side of Beaufort lake, a bit to the north of the Abbey.
It was in a field of wheat when I visited, but can be easily seen.
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Log Text: This menhir can be found just to the west of the road around the east of Beaufort lake, a bit to the north of the Abbey. It's in a field of wheat, but can be easily seen. I estimate it to be at least 4 metres tall.
La Maison des Feins
Trip No.203 Entry No.600 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4
La Maison des Feins submitted by thecaptain on 15th Apr 2008. La Maison des Feins, Tressé, seen here from the "front" end, as approached through the forest.
So this will be the northern side from the east.
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Log Text: This is a lovely little allée couverte, deep inside a lovely oak forest just to the east of the village of Tressé, and signposted from there. There is a parking area, and a signposted and guided walk footpath from there to find it, along with many other items of interest.
The allée is about 12 metres long, at an orientation of 155°, but it is not much more than a metre wide or high. Truly a house for the fairies. All but the end capstone are still in place, and at the back end there is a nice little additional cell. Within this cell are some exceptional carvings on the southern sidestone, of two pairs of breasts with their collars, on a cartouche giving them a big relief. There are also the remains of two pairs on the chevet stone, but these have been crudely hacked off in the past, leaving just the outlines.
Of course, there are many legends of the fairies who live here in this forest, including the story of a farmer who was given some everlasting bread by the fairies because their cow had become ill, and the farmer had helped them with it. The bread would stay fresh and last forever so long as he never told the story. Of course, one day the farmer did tell the story, and the loaf of bread turned to stone - a stone which can still be seen here today.
Four-És-Feins
Trip No.203 Entry No.599 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Couldn't find on 28th Jun 2005
Four-És-Feins submitted by thecaptain on 20th Jun 2009. I found a place in a woodland to the left of the track, with a mound in it, and what looked to be some lumps sticking up, but it was very overgrown. It has to be here, surely. Closer inspection amongst the ivy and brambles, and there were clearly a few side set slabs sticking up through the ground.
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Log Text: I had a good look around for the remains of this allée couverte, but could find nothing obvious. It's somewhere to the west of the hamlet of Vieux Bourg, beside the north to south expressway.
Mont St Michel
Trip No.203 Entry No.604 Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 2 Access 4
Mont St Michel submitted by theCaptain on 4th Jan 2013. They are trying to cut off the Mont again, to get the sea to surround it once more.
I read at the new controlling dam on the river that the land has risen 4.9 metres since the 1960s. Much of these new grassy marshes is being dug up and pushed into the river, hopefully to get washed away.
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Log Text: Far too hot and busy and crowded.