Grotte de Mas D'Azil

Trip No.205  Entry No.70  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Parked at the upstream end of the Mas d'Azil cave, and it hits home again just how MASSIVE this cave is. I walk through the cave again, partly to check where the low bits are for the van. I have forgotten that you can see all sorts of bits and pieces of passages inside.

Decided not to bother with the paid visit, although perhaps I should have, cos I spent enough other time here anyway. A bungy jump has been set up outside the south entrance to the cave, and I watch people doing this for a while - seeing people dropping and hanging in front of the cave entrance really shows the scale. Eventually leave and drive through the cave to the village.

Source de Fontestorbes

Trip No.205  Entry No.78  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 11th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a very interesting place, one of only a few known examples in the world, with its intermittant spring gushing from a cave in a cliff face beside the road, well signposted a kilometre or so to the south of the little Pyrenean town of Belesta. In the dry summer months, due to a complex and not fully understood syphoning mechanism, the spring alternates between full flowing river, and barely a trickle, on an approximately hourly cycle for about 4 months of the year.

The place has been well done up since I was last here 5 years ago, with new parking area, a pedestrian bridge built over the stream, and a building with shop and cafe facilities, with more planned such as a picnic site and nature walk, and there were quite a lot of people here.

When I arrived, the spring was gushing quite a lot, the water easily covering the little steps across the entrance into the cave, just as it was every other time I have visited here in the past (I think I have been here about 4 times before, and never seen the spring dry up). So I went for a look round the little info centre, which now has a bar and lots of information about various tourist places and things, and was being run by a nice friendly couple, and it even has information leaflets about the spring in English these days. This explains the best understanding of the springs working, and states that it does not start cycling until after a long dry spell in the summer (I had always been in spring or early summer before).

As I left the centre, and had another look at the spring, it seemed to be slowing down. After another 5 minutes, the flow had lowered enough that a chap could walk across the steps and into the cave. Ten minutes later, it had slowed right down to a trickle, allowing people to walk across the stepping stones into the cave. It was not easy to see where the water comes from, it must be somewhere under the floor of the pond.

As would be expected of such a strange place, it has been revered since time immemorial, and of course there are many legends and stories associated with it. Excellent, I have at last seen this thing at work !

Beleven allée couverte

Trip No.209  Entry No.11  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Remains of a fairly disturbed but mostly complete allée couverte can be found in dark woodland to the northwest of the village of Plouer-sur-Rance, to the north of the magnificent ancient city of Dinan. Although the quartz block stones of this 14 metre long allée couverte are fairly well disturbed, it is in fact mostly complete, with a well defined terminal cella, and even with traces of its mound still to be seen. It is possible that it once had a lateral entrance.

Remarkably, it is stated that this monument was only discovered in 1972, which I find hard to believe, and it was classified as a monument historique as recently as 1981.

The poor thing is very close to a busy express highway, the N176, which runs along this northern edge of Brittany, but although the noise from the traffic is constant, the dense woodlands do a good job of hiding it all.

Despite looking on maps as if it would be very difficult to access, its on a wooded hillside right next to the dual carriageway road , there is in fact an emergency phone and layby nearby on the northbound carriageway, where it is possible to park and visit the monument. From the layby, hop over a little fence and follow a well worn path to the left for about 100 metres, and there it is ! Brilliant, its like the layby is deliberately put there for us stonehunters !

Outre Tombes

Trip No.209  Entry No.12  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This horseshoe of megalithic stones has alternatively been considered as a megalithic enclosure (cromlech) or perhaps the stones once surrounding a dolmenic burial chamber. Seven stones are shaped in a sort of semi circle, of diameter about 7 metres.

This monument was classified as a historical monument in 1966, but by 1977 had disappeared, being the victim of an expansion of the local quarry at Vaujour. When this was discovered, the police were called in, but it was all thought to be too late. However, in 1989 it was found that most of the stones hadn't simply been destroyed, but had been moved and dumped into a nearby field, although one had gone through the stonecrusher. With the help of a plan and photograph of the site taken in 1962, the local people (with the help of the quarrying company) had the site recreated in 1998, just a few hundred metres from its original position.

There is also a small menhir erected at the site, the origins of which I do not know, but the stone does not look modern. Today, the site sits in a little meadow near to the top of the quarry, and can be found beside the little road which runs along the top of the hills to the northeast of the massive Vaujour quarries. There are several information plaques at the site, telling of its history and with diagrams and pictures.

Menhir du Perron (St-Marcan)

Trip No.209  Entry No.14  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition -1

Log Text: A 2 metre tall menhir similar to the Roche Longue of St Marcan, once stood in the fields of Perron, about 800 metres south of La Roche Longue. It somehow disappeared in the 1930's.

St-Benoit polissoir

Trip No.210  Entry No.5  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2010. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Decide to take Dad here to see this special stone, so leave the autoroute at St James, to go have a look – the third time I will have tried to take Dad here, having missed it twice before due to roadworks and a shut bridge, and lateness on the previous occasions. Blimey, there are now big brown signs indicating it from the main road.

Set in its nice little marshy area, this is now very well looked after and presented, unlike the old description when I was first looking for it several years ago. The stone is a bit smaller than I remember it, but it is really wonderful. I just love being able to sit and stroke the very polished grooves, and let my mind wander back through the millennia. Again, Dad seemed well impressed at being able to see something like this.

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

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.

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

Log Text: Far too hot and busy and crowded.

Mont St Michel

Trip No.212  Entry No.13  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 11th Oct 2012. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Getting a late lunch at Plein Fougeres, it is now much too late to go to Fougeres and have a proper look round, so we decide to go to Mont St Michel for a quick look around. Shouldn't be too busy at this time of year. It has all changed since either myself or Dad was last there, and you now have to park miles away, at what is becoming a sort of holiday village resort. Many huge car parks, some hotels and restaurants etc, and a 40 min walk to the Mont, but free shuttle busses are provided. At this point I was ready to give up and drive away, but Dad still wanted to persevere, so we got the shuttle bus 10 mins out to the Mont.

Theres a hell of a lot of work going on here, both to the walls and the surroundings. Turns out they are trying to cut off the Mont again, to get the sea to surround it once more, and this involves removing the old causeway etc, and just have a sort of bridge going out to the Mont. This and alterations to the river should then mean the silts get washed away, and the sea once more claims the Mont at each high tide. 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.

The place is not too crowded, although many Japanese here, so we walk up to the abbey along the main street, no time to do the tour. Walk down around the outer walls, watching the tide coming in, and theres a group of people out walking over the sands and mud with the water coming in. Just as we leave the Mont, the sun starts to come out, making a few pictures much better.

Cup of tea, then on to Sara's, much later than we ought to be, but this time its not all my doing! Must visit here properly sometime, October Thursday mornings might be OK, but need the whole day.

La Roche Longue (St-Marcan)

Trip No.209  Entry No.13  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This well shaped menhir is just under 3 metres tall in a field to the east of the St Marcan cemetary. As with my previous visit, the field is planted with maize, and is today sodden wet, which prevents me from being abole to walk right up to the stone. However, this time I can walk up the western edge of the field by the cemetary, and photograph its other side in the afternoon sunshine.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Champ Dolent Menhir

Trip No.208  Entry No.6  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 20th Mar 2008. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: None

La Maison des Feins

Trip No.208  Entry No.5  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 20th Mar 2008. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: None

La Ganterie

Trip No.208  Entry No.4  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 20th Mar 2008. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Revisiting this in March 2008, and it was not so overgrown as it had been in June 2005, but it was still impossible to tell how long the allée couverte was, with the eastern end all covered in very thick brambles and other bushes. The more open western end has one or two capstones still sitting on top of their supports, with the two side walls of the allée being about 1.5 metres apart.

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

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.209  Entry No.10  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I went and had another look for this while in the area last weekend, now knowing to look nearby to the Beillac farm. I could see nothing obvious when driving slowly down the lane past the farm, but there was an old couple out tending their wonderful vegetable garden, so I stopped and asked them if they could tell me where the dolmen was. They were interested to know what an Englishman was doing looking for the remnants of the dolmen, but were happy to help.

Unfortunately, I struggled to understand fully all they were saying, a combination of strong accent and using some words I just could not figure out. But I thought I had got enough of a lead to find it easily. Park out of the way of the farm track by the corner of the farm. Cross the field to the south on the newly cut hay at the edge of the field for 200 metres until reaching the other side. Go straight on about another 100 metres (unknown words) until I get to the big trees, and it is on the left, (some more unknown words). Put boots on if you have them. Sounds simple.

Well, it was all very simple simple, until I tried to decide which of all the woodlands were the correct big trees. However, after a few false starts, 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 this, surely. Closer inspection amongst the ivy and brambles, and there were clearly a few side set slabs sticking up through the ground, and I was pretty sure I could determine two rows of slabs about 1.5 metres apart from each other, but with no stone more than 0.5 metres tall, and most substantially lower. I reckoned that what I had found on top of the mound was about 10 metres in length, and had to be the remains of a very ruined allée couverte.

However, walking back to the car, I thought that these poor remains were not really enough to be known by the name Four-es-Feins; the Fairies Oven. Surely something with a name like that must be a grander structure. I also thought it to be too ruined to be what the old couple were explaining to me, although they did say it was just the remains of an allée couverte. I would have thought they would have told me not to bother rather than gladly give me directions.....

Upon returning to the car, I remembered I had book with description in a box in the boot. "Rectangular chamber measuring 10m by 1.5m with 6 orthostats on the south side and 5 on the north. Their length is between 1 and 1.8 metres, height about half a metre and thickness 0.3 metres. Brilliant, this all fits to what I saw. But then, the description goes on. Three cover slabs about half a metre thick, and the backstone are still in place. Around the monument, a dozen or so other stones lie scattered.

Well, I can believe the stones are now more covered by undergrowth and soil than that description, and hence seem smaller. The size, orientation and almost everything seems right, with one major exception; the three cover stones. There was nothing at all which could have been them. Read the description again and realise it has been based upon a plan and writings from 1886 and 1928. Maybe it has become much more wrecked since then, but what of the old couples talk ?

So, was this Four-es-Feins or not? If it wasn't, what had I found ? I am not sure, but like to think I did find it. Certainly until anyone proves otherwise and can show me something better I'll count it.

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

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.

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

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.