Dolmen de Men-Gouarec

Trip No.204  Entry No.30  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3

Log Text: This allée couverte with carved breasts on the back stone is signposted from miles around, and with its own little parking place and signpost. However, when I visited, I was not able to reach it as the farmer has a crop of sweetcorn growing all around it and there was absolutely no way through. this is not supposedly allowed, a pathway should have been kept clear, but what can I do about it ?

La Quenouille de Gargantua

Trip No.204  Entry No.29  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 11th Jul 2005

Log Text: I could not find this.

Roche de Migourdy

Trip No.204  Entry No.28  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This was a nice one to find, and is a few hundred metres walk up a track and then across a field to the south of the village of Kergoff, which itself is a few kilometres south of Plumelic. What you find is a nice 25 metre diameter mound at the top of the hill in a field, covered as usual with trees and dense undergrowth.

Within this mound is the remains of a very nice dolmen a couloir, still mostly buried within it. The chamber is about 3.5 m by 2.5 m and lined with large slabs. The whole thing is topped by a single large capstone, and there is room enough to stand up within it. A couple of stones remain from the entrance passageway.

I understand that this mound once had two dolmens within it, one of which has now been wrecked. I found no sign of another chamber anywhere, but that is not to say that there aren't remains hidden in the thick undergrowth somewhere.

Babouin et Babouine

Trip No.204  Entry No.27  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: Deep in the forest to the east of Trédion can be found these two bizarre menhirs. Babouin, the baboon, is only about 1.4 metres tall, but has been resculpted at some point to have a flat front surface with a rounded shaft below a larger rounded head. On the flat face of this head has been carved a rough face within a circle, which is looking out into the forest to the south.

Babouine, the female stone, is 3.2 metres tall, slightly leaning, and has been carved into a strange three tiered cylinder shape, all the way up from ground to top. On the top section there is carved a very rough face, while on the protruding middle section a semicircular groove, perhaps a smile, or more likely the sort of necklace often seen below breasts in these ancient carvings.

It is not known how old either the original menhirs, or the recarvings are. Perhaps they are reworkings by the Gauls, or perhaps much more modern masons work. It's all a mystery, but one thing is sure, these two stones are well worth a look.

Grande Villeneuve Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.26  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir is to be found in a garden in the hamlet of the same name, a kilometre or so to the north of Tredion. The menhir is about 4 metres tall and nicely shaped, although it looks to have lost its top at some point, due to a lightning strike.

Menhir Fourchu

Trip No.204  Entry No.25  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nice menhir stood at the side of the road just to the east of Lezonnais. It is about 3.5 metres tall, 1.5 metres wide and only 0.3 metres thick, and has a nicely forked shape at the top, hence its name, and a sort of nose on one side. Around this area are many stones stood up beside the road, in gardens etc, of which I assume are mostly modern and field clearance, otherwise I would have known about them, but perhaps they are the remains of something once much more significant.

Grand Breuil Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.24  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir is easily found at Grand Breuil, right at the junction of the D.112 and the road for Lezonnais. The stone is about 3 metres tall, and in a little grassy area beside the road junction. It looks to have been nicely shaped, and is cared for to this day. There is a very nice garden on the opposite side of the road, all landscaped and with little megalithic creations in it.

Pierre Tabulaire de la Bataille

Trip No.204  Entry No.23  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is a massive slab of rock deep in the forest, found by following a trackway which now has a private sign on it, but I went for a look anyhow. I would think it is a natural slab of granite with its dimensions 10 metres by up to 5 metres, but it would appear to have been used as a capstone to a burial chamber under the eastern end, which has been dug underneath and surrounded with a couple more slabs. Whatever it is, this is a nice place to find.

Menhirs de Coëby 1

Trip No.204  Entry No.22  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: At the junction of lanes in the forest, there are a couple of menhirs. Both are about 3 metres high, and they are about 15 metres apart. Not marked on any map I have seen, they are however easy to find.

Dolmen de Coëby 2

Trip No.204  Entry No.21  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 11th Jul 2005

Log Text: This is supposedly just beside the road, but the forest was far too thick for me to be able to find it.

Dolmen de Coëby 1

Trip No.204  Entry No.20  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In the thick forest, just beside the D.766 road north of the Grande Loge can be found the remains of this dolmen. It's difficult to tell exactly what it is the remains of, but there are half a dozen large stones still standing. It was possibly a large simple chamber of which the capstones have now fallen, of which the largest is approximately 4 m by 4m trapezoidal shape.

The forest was obviously undergoing a major clear out when I visited, after having become totally overgrown and impenetrable. I understand that there are more than half a dozen dolmens and chambers to be found in this piece of forest, but they are not easy to find. I am not at all surprised. It would be nice if a little woodland walk was arranged, as at many other communities.

La Pierre Branlante (Trédion)

Trip No.204  Entry No.19  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 11th Jul 2005

Log Text: The track up to this from the road between Tredion and Ervan was gated and with a keep out sign. I hoped I would be able to perhaps get to this later from the other side in the forest, but there was no such luck.

La Loge au Loup

Trip No.204  Entry No.18  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Easily found a few kilometres south of Trédion just to the west of the D.1 road to Elven, this nice site is signposted and has a parking place from where it’s a couple of hundred metres walk up into the lovely woodland on the ridgetop. I thought it to be a strange monument, which looks in some ways to be an Arc Boutté type allée couverte with a V dolmen built on top of it!

The passageway is about 9 metres long and faces 120°, with its paired stones leaning against each other. At the west end is a large capstone, 4 m by 3 m, sitting on top of extra support stones making a sort of chamber 2,5 metres wide, but it is filled up with the leaning stones of the passage. Its almost as if there is a complete V form dolmen built on top of the allée couverte using the same entrance, as there are extra rows of stones outside the passageway. Perhaps the allée couverte was built within the V dolmen. Around the outside are several other shaped stones, no doubt a peristalith of the original mound, of which much remains.

This is a lovely little place to sit in the shade on a hot day, and well worth a visit.

Grand Village allée couverte

Trip No.204  Entry No.17  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the southeast of the village of Caro, and signposted with a little parking area, can be found this allée couverte, a few hundred metres walk from the parking. It is one of the longest allée couvertes around, at about 25 metres, but apart from the two large end stones, not much is left standing or in its proper place. The chamber is oriented at 145°, and is neither along the ridge or across it. The entrance is a lateral entrance, about in the middle of the southern side, and two side stones for the entrance porch can be made out. It would appear that as well as the stones for the main chamber, there are also many for the peristalith of its oval mound, which would not be very much bigger than the chamber itself. This is one site that would benefit enormously from a bit of restoration.

It has been a very hot day, and since the spear throwing competition I have been lacking inspiration. I have looked in my books, and driven about quite a lot, looking for sites not marked on the maps, but unless they have had signs, or I have been lucky, I have not been able to find many of them. Perhaps I should stop early and chill out a bit.

Maison Neuve menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.16  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a beautiful white quartz menhir standing beside the road to Morhannais to the northeast of Monterrain. It is about 3.5 metres high, and there are several other blocks of quartz beside it, which are either bits which have fallen off it, another broken menhir, or simple field clearance stones. The menhir is nicely shaped at the top which seems to rule out the first option. Even in the bright hot sunshine of the day I visited, the stone felt nice and cool. Lovely.

Piprais menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.15  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This 4.5 metre tall menhir can be found in a field of sweetcorn just to the northeast of the village of Monterrain, near to a roadside cross. The menhir, a white quartz looking stone, seems to be splitting into two. Apparently there is another fallen stone nearby, but hidden from view by the maize.

Dolmen de la Maison-Trouvée

Trip No.204  Entry No.14  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is an Angevin type dolmen with a massive rectangular chamber still mostly buried within its tree covered mound. The chamber is about 4.5 metres by 2.5 metres and is topped by a massive 6 metres by 3 metres capstone. As often seems to be the case with the Angevin dolmens I have seen, the side slabs are accurately shaped so that they fit together extremely well, and the whole chamber is very straight sided and regular. Unusually, the portal doorway opens towards the west. I cannot tell how high the chamber is, or whether there is a floor, as the thing is still half buried. The circular mound, about 20 metres in diameter, has lots and lots of white quartz stones in its makeup. It has been dated to about 3000 BC. It is signposted and easily found from the village of Monterrein.

L'Hotié de Viviane

Trip No.204  Entry No.12  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: This can be found about a kilometre walk from the same car park that is used to visit the Tombeau des Géants, but in the other direction. It is signposted. Just below and to the north of a ridge with tremendous views can be found this little grave, about 3 metres long and 1 metre wide, made with 1.5 metre tall side slabs. It is enclosed within a 12 metre diameter stone cairn with a ring of stones around the outside. It is supposedly a rarity in Brittany, but reminds me of a more complete version of the smaller tombelles near to the Rocher de Bono.

The site was excavated in 1982/1983, when pottery and polished axes were found, and it was carbon dated to about 3000 BC. It is also know b ythe name "Tombeau des Druides.

Tombeau des Géants

Trip No.204  Entry No.11  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Also known as "Roche a la Vieille", or "Old Hag's Rock", this is a strange little monument high up in the hills by the GR37 footpath, a kilometre or so from a large parking area. What it is now is a 4 metre long, 1 metre wide coffre type grave, made using 4 large stone slabs and many other smaller stone bits making up the ends.

It is supposedly a bronze age burial tomb, but constructed from some previous megalithic standing stones from the area. Not far from the tomb is a fallen 4 metre long menhir, and several other pieces of rock. There was probably a line of large menhirs here in long distant times, which have been re used.

La Verrie menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.10  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nice stone, fairly easily found near to the farm of La Verrie a kilometre or so to the northeast of Monteneuf. The stone is nearly 5 metres tall and 4.5 metres in width, but is less than 0.5 metre thick. It resembles the comb of a cockerel the way the top edge has become serrated. The stone is near to the corner of a field, only 20 metres from the lane, but also only 30 metres from the farm, with all sorts of buildings and machinery around, which detracts from the atmosphere of the stone.