La Pierre Pointue (Montacher)

Trip No.204  Entry No.234  Date Added: 5th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: A few kilometres to the south of the village of Montacher-Villegardin via windy unmarked roads, and about a kilometre walk to the west of the little road which runs south from the village, along farm tracks and you can find this menhir in a field. It is about 2.3 metres tall, and very pointed as its name would suggest. Around the stone are lots more rocks, whether broken from it or field clearance I cannot say.

Lancy Polissoir

Trip No.204  Entry No.228  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: About 350 metres to the north of the D.110 road through Lancy Forest can be found this polissoir stone. Park at the Pavillon-de-Lancy picnic site, and the stone can be found down the track along the edge of the forest from there. Luckily it is signposted, as without them I would never have found it.

As polissoir stones that I have seen go, this is not very impressive. Its a nice stone in the forest, about 2.5m by 2.5 m laying on the ground, with a couple of polishing grooves and a basin which can be determined. The basin is actually very nicely polished. This seems a slightly strange place for a polissoir stone, as I can see no natural source for any water nearby, although the stone itself has a large hollow which could have been used as a reservoir. And it is raining !

Petit dolmen de Trainel

Trip No.204  Entry No.226  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: About 15 metres to the north of the Grand Dolmen along the slope of the hill, and perhaps in what was once the same mound can be found the Petit Dolmen. It doesn’t look much more than a medium sized rock sat on the hillside, but closer inspection shows there to be a 1 metre by 0.5 metre slab sided cist underneath the 1.7 m by 1 m capstone.

Without the signpost right beside it, I very much doubt that I would have found this, although it is right beside the path. There are hundreds of better more dolmenic looking rocks in this forest ! I cant believe I spent the best part of three days and 700 km of driving to get here ! Lets hope for better to come, but I wont hold my breath. Dammit, now its raining. Lots of deer about though, and just sitting writing this I can sense them watching me from behind the trees.

Pierre à l'Eau

Trip No.204  Entry No.229  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is much more like it, a lovely polissoir stone, with its own source of water in the form of a couple of deep basins which I assume are natural, and it is not far from a little stream. The stone is sort of triangular, about 2 m by 1.5 m, and has five well worn grooves and a couple of flat basins for polishing. It is found from the D.110 road through Lancy Forest, south of the Pavillon-de-Lancy. There is a parking place and signposted walk of 650 metres from there to the east.

Polissoir avec Cuvette

Trip No.204  Entry No.230  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: About 50 metres from the Pierre à l'Eau, and thankfully signposted through the tricky forest, can be found a second polissoir stone. This one has a large water filled basin, and as far as I can make out, only two two large flattish basin like polishing areas. I guess this stone was used for the flat faces, while stone 1 was used for the edges.

Polissoir avec Plage

Trip No.204  Entry No.231  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 7th Aug 2011. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: A further 40 metres downstream from the second polissoir stone, is found a third. This one is a smaller stone, about 2 metres by 0.5 metres, and a nice smoothed crescent shape, hence the name. As well as the entire polishing "beach", there are at least three bowls for polishing, some of which are quite deep, and about 20 cm in diameter. This is quite some industrial centre, isn't it!

As I write this I am being watched by at least two deer, no more than 40 metres away from me. Oh well, better get back.

Grand dolmen de Trainel

Trip No.204  Entry No.225  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: There are two dolmens here in the Traînel forest, signposted a couple of kilometres to the west of Saint-Maurice-aux-Riches-Hommes. Where the road bends, park in the forest car park and walk for a kilometre to the north along the forest track, and the dolmens are signposted from here.

The Grand Dolmen is a bit of a mess of large stones with the remains of a bit of a mound around them, built into the hillside in the forest. There is one obvious capstone of dimensions 2.5 m by 1.5 m sitting on top of some support stones, with a 2 metres long by by 1 metre wide chamber underneath. Besides it is the remains of what was another small chamber and it is possible that there were once more. It's all a bit of a muddle though, not helped by the badgers that have made it their home.

Lancy Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.227  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Now this is more like it. In the Foret-de-Lancy, a couple of kilometres to the southeast of Saint-Maurice-aux-Riches-Hommes can be found this nice looking little dolmen. It is signposted from the road through the forest about 700 metres south of the parking place at the track to the Traînel dolmens, and is a 700 metre walk from the road along a forest track.

The dolmen is in a little clearing, 10 metres from the track, and easy to find. The forst thing you see is the obvious dolmen with a 3 m by 2 m capstone sat on top of two side supports, about 1.2 metres off the ground. Closer inspection shows there to be a backstone, and a fallen stone at the large front opening. Just to the southeast is another large stone standing upright, and there are plenty of other large stones laying about nearby. There would appear to be the remains of a round mound within which the dolmen was once covered.

I wonder whether there was a second chamber at some point, or perhaps a circle of stones around the mound. This is a very pleasant spot. Strangely, there are many hand prints painted on some of the stones.

La Pierre-Aux-Sorcières

Trip No.204  Entry No.223  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Couldn't find on 4th Aug 2005

Log Text: La Pierre-Aux-Sorcières, or La Pierre-Enlevée is to be found in the community of Vaumort. I'd have liked to have found the Witch's stone, but I don’t have a map with it marked on, and there are no signs or notices in the village to help. Shame.

Grottes d'Arcy-sur-Cure

Trip No.204  Entry No.220  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 4th Aug 2005

Log Text: I drove past these caves, without realising what significance they have. If I had realised, I would have visited.

Pierre-Fritte (Villeneuve-sur-Yonne)

Trip No.204  Entry No.221  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Couldn't find on 4th Aug 2005

Log Text: I could find nowhere to stop and look for this menhir, which is somewhere between the busy N.6 road and the river Yonne.

Dolmen de la Bourde à la Gousse

Trip No.204  Entry No.224  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Couldn't find on 4th Aug 2005

Log Text: There is a dolmen marked on my ign map near to the village of La Bourde a la Gousse, so I went to have a look. I walked a fair distance down a forest track, but I could find nothing. The forest was either very dense and impenetrable, or fenced off. There was at one point lots of rocks on the forest floor, in about the right position, but these were in a fenced off enclosure.

Polissoir des Roches

Trip No.204  Entry No.232  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Couldn't find on 5th Aug 2005

Log Text: The Polissoir des Roches, or Courgenay polissoir should be found in the forest to the south of the village of Courgenay, up on the hills. There are no signposts to be seen to it, so I am pretty sure that I will not be able to find it on my own.

Dolmen de Bercenay

Trip No.204  Entry No.233  Date Added: 4th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bourgogne:Yonne (89))
Visited: Couldn't find on 5th Aug 2005

Log Text: Just off the edge of my map, the Pierre au Laurin, or Pierre Couverte, has no obvious signposts to it, and I could see no obvious signs of any dolmen in the locality, so I didn’t really look.

Which is a shame really, as I see later there are three good dolmens to be found here, much better than anything I did find!

Saint-Uzec menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.562  Date Added: 3rd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Signposted from all around, and with its own parking area, this is a truly massive menhir in all senses. It must be about 6 metres tall or more, and impressively bulky in its other dimensions also. But its crowning glory is the granite cross on top, and also the tremendous carvings on its front (southern) face, which show scenes from the bible and the "roughly hewn instruments of passion". In the past it was also painted.

The menhir's back face is lovely and weather worn, with lots of grooves running down it where the rain has run down. It is set in a little stone area complete with a little pillar for offerings. Outside the stone setting is a nice little garden area, with a tremendously colourful display when I was here - poppies, hydrangea, stocks and many others I did not know. This is a smashing place to visit, so long as you avoid the coach parties that are regularly brought here.

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

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.

Chapelle-des-Sept-Saints

Trip No.203  Entry No.552  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jun 2005

Log Text: I had terrible trouble finding this from the south. The road signs are almost non existent, and very inconsistent, and its all windy lanes and farm tracks. None of the roads, or the names on any of the rare signs seem to agree with the maps. I think the maps are in French, while the signs are in Breton ! I eventually found it by a bit of a fluke, after travelling for a fair distance along a road I was wanting to turn round on, and go back, there it was, right in front of me. That said, when I left, and went northwards, it couldn’t be much problem to find it coming from the north, it seems like one road to get there, and its signposted from the main road.

By the time I got here, it was 7:00 pm, and it was all closed up. However, there was a little sign outside telling you about the place in four languages, one of which was English. The Chapel is built right on top of a dolmen, (Stivel dolmen), and the southern Crypt is within the dolmen itself. The dolmen is a big one, and a registered historic monument, being about 4 metres by 2 metres, made with 4 sidestones and 2 capstones. From the outside, there is a little gated doorway, through which you can see partly into the inside, and the dolmen is plain to see. It has been adapted somewhat for its new role, and I think that there are little statues of the seven saints contained in alcoves within the dolmen.

Now this is one way of Christianising an ancient site !!! although it must be said that the chapel is a place of pilgrimage for Moslems. So, there’s at least three beliefs all coming together at the same place.

Menhir a Vertu

Trip No.203  Entry No.561  Date Added: 3rd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Oooh errrr, this one's a bit rude ! This is a wonderful little menhir, less than 2 metres tall, but a tremendous phallic shape, which was no doubt recognised by the ancient people. It has been revered so much over time that it is still standing erect, and indeed has had a chapel built with its front door no more than 8 metres from the stone, and opening directly onto it. This place has been christianised not only by the chapel, but the head of the menhir has at some point been attempted to be shaped into a cross, but in some ways this just accentuates the phallic nature of the stone.

At the time of my visit, there was a little offering of flowers and sea shells placed very neatly on a little ledge at the base of the stone. This is very definately one for the ladies, and no doubt has great powers.

Île-Coalen allée couverte

Trip No.203  Entry No.577  Date Added: 5th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: The remains of this monument can be found at low tide on the beach at the southwestern corner of Ile Coalen, which is just offshore from the mainland at the northwest entry to the Trieux river estuary. The island can be reached by walking from the mainland when the tide is out.

It is the remains of an allée couverte, the chamber of which has an orientation of 155°, the length of which was indeterminate to me. At the northwestern end is the remains of a seperate cell a couple of metres in length. Several side slabs, plus the two cross slabs are still in position, but the rest of it is a bit of a jumble, and has been knocked about a bit over the years. There is possibly the remains of a peristalith around it, or perhaps its bits of broken capstone, I cannot tell.

I enjoy coming to these island places - much more fun to come to than a field wall or suchlike.

Trémarche menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.559  Date Added: 3rd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Pleasant enough menhir set into a little gravel area at the side of the D.11 road beside the junction at Trémarche a few kilometres to the south of Trégastel. It's about 3 metres high, of rectangular section, and made from a nice pink granite.