La Table des Fées, Chêneduit

Trip No.202  Entry No.57  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Although marked on my ign map there are no signs to this in an area of small fields and many rocky outcrops. I asked a lady in a house with a small imitation dolmen in the garden and she seemed pleased that somebody was looking for it. I was informed that it was called the Table-des-Fées and she pointed me to it over a couple of fields.

It is a small dolmen which has been built into a field wall. The remains consist of a capstone which is sitting on top of a pair of uprights in a somewhat unlikely position on a steep slope above a small stream. The capstone is about 2 metres and rounded more than a metre off the ground. There are many other large stones here and I suspect that there was once a lot more to it.

Menhir d'Outres

Trip No.202  Entry No.55  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st May 2005

Log Text: Marked on my map pretty much near the centre of the village of Joué-de-Bois but I failed to find this menhir.

Dolmen dit de la Grandière

Trip No.202  Entry No.54  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Not easy to find in an area of small fields and lots of natural rocky outcrops and field clearance cairns just to the northwest of the village. However there was a local man in his garden who I asked and he willingly lead me to it over a couple of fields to the south of the farmhouse. It looked a bit like another natural rocky outcrop to me but he assured me it was the dolmen as he wasn’t allowed to touch it and has to leave an area around it clear of any farming.

As stated it looks a lot like a natural outcrop to me but there is a large rounded stone balanced on the top of a few smaller pieces. I guess that in the years gone by the people were perhaps making do with nature’s provision. A low key village dolmen rather than a big substantial monument.

La Bertinière

Trip No.202  Entry No.53  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 1st May 2005

Log Text: Despite being a monument of national historic importance and signposted as such half a kilometre walk from the main road I assume a new farmer has taken up residence and all the fields are now well fenced off with barbed and electric wire and countless signs so I wasn’t able to pay a proper visit. It can however be seen to the south of the main road west of the village and was in a field of cows. It looks to be a fairly large monument much bigger than most in these parts. I estimate it to be about 10 cow lengths long and a cow high.

Dolmen dit le Lit de la Gione

Trip No.202  Entry No.52  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This much wrecked dolmen is found a mile or so walk westwards (signposted) along the GR22 from La Croix Gautier. It seems to be the remains of a large single dolmen but now just 3 large slabs remain so it is difficult to tell. One stone is upright on its edge with a dislodged capstone and another slab a few metres away. The large capstone is about 3 m by 2.5 m by 0.5 m thick.

A bank surrounding the forest track has been built into whatever was here. There is a nice legend about the stone which is written on a little board alongside but of which I am not really sure of the details. It basically concerns the old fairy Gione who did bad things to the local farmers before dying in the dolmen after some sort of intervention from a priest.

Bignon Menhir

Trip No.202  Entry No.51  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st May 2005

Log Text: To the southwest of the dolmen is supposedly a menhir and it is marked both on my ign map and on the local maps and footpath signposts. However it is probably to be found in very thick woodland and try as hard as I did I found no sight of it.

Bignon Dolmen

Trip No.202  Entry No.50  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A little Mayenne allée couverte still largely within its mound but its all falling down and a bit of a wreck. However it is now living in a little fenced off area and is signposted from the hamlet and included on a couple of mapped and signposted walks from the village.

Only one capstone 2.5 m by 2 m remains on its supports but a couple more can be seen. The main chamber is orientated 080° and several side slabs can be seen sticking out of the mound which is approximately rectangular 11 metres long 6 metres wide and up to 2 metres in height.

La Hamelinière

Trip No.202  Entry No.49  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: On the eastern outskirts of the village of Chantrigné this fine allée couverte can be seen looking to all the world like its in somebody’s private back garden. However the man in the house came out and showed me a way round the back (down the side lane then along a footpath between hedges) which gets you right to the allée couverte which is being set into its own little public area.

The remains of the main chamber are about 9 metres long 2 metres wide orientated 080° and has a divider stone placed across the inside of the chamber. Four large capstones remain with 9 stones still standing of the southern side 7 on the northern side which are not in pairs. Another capstone lies fallen near the entrance. Some of the internal stones have holes in them I do not know if they are natural or man made.

La Table des Diables

Trip No.202  Entry No.47  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Also known as La Pierre au Diable this site is an 800 metre signposted uphill walk southwards from a parking place near to la Vallette. As with many of these monuments this is at the top of a ridge within an enchanting forest full of birdsong and wildflowers – a cuckoo being particularly prominent here. The stones are surrounded by wizened old oak trees and large pines without which the views would be superb.

A lot of this site looks natural until you look closely. Apart from the very large (4 m by 2 m) stone sat on top of a rocky outcrop with a couple of small supports just west of this are remains of what looks to me like a wrecked allée couverte with two rows of parallel edge set stones about a metre apart. Perhaps the large rock on top of the outcrop was once a capstone for this ruined monument.

Dolmen des Iles

Trip No.202  Entry No.46  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: A wrecked dolmen situated atop a small hillock in a field just east of the dolmen des Erves. I didn’t enter the field to get a close look.

Dolmen des Erves

Trip No.202  Entry No.45  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is an easily found dolmen a couple of kilometres north of the fortified village of Saint-Suzanne which is quite well known for being the base of Hubert de Beaumont who took up refuge there after 1066 and made raids against the Normans before being put under siege by William in 1083. It is signposted from the village and has its own little parking area where it is situated in a little fenced off area surrounded by some very friendly young cows.

The remains are of a single large chamber which used to be covered by a mound of the Angevins type of which this is a very northern example. The rectangular chamber is about 4 metres by 3 metres in size and consists of two enormous capstones sitting on large upright slabs with an entranceway. The western internal end of the chamber has a capstone about 3 metres by 3 metres which rests on two side stones and one large end stone. The eastern part has a capstone about 3 m by 2 m resting on two side stones only but has two parallel entrance stones further to the east.

The rest of this chamber would have consisted of dry stone walling. Excavated in 1868 and again in 1983 it has been carbon dated to between 4000 and 4700 BC. It is said that there were another 3 dolmens and a menhir within sight of this chamber only a hundred years ago.

Pierre Aigue, Richebourg

Trip No.202  Entry No.43  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005

Log Text: Allée couverte down near a stream seen across a large field near Richebourg farmhouse. There were no signs and I couldn’t see how to get to it. The remains of what I saw looked quite long and made from large rounded brown stones.

La Chaise du Diable

Trip No.202  Entry No.42  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005

Log Text: 2 kilometres east of the village of Sainte Gemmes- le-Robert are marked two dolmens or megalithic monuments on my ign map one north and the other south of a little crossroads. The southern one I could not determine fully as I could not gain full access to any of the possible sites. It could be some large stones in a wooded area or alternatively and I think more likely another large tor like hillock with many stones scattered about on its slopes many of which don’t look to be in natural positions.

Pierres dit Palais du Diable

Trip No.202  Entry No.41  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: 2 kilometres east of the village of Sainte Gemmes- le-Robert are marked two dolmens or megalithic monuments on my ign map one north and the other south of a little crossroads. The northern one consists of a large mound with many large stones scattered about. It looks at first like it may be the top of a natural to type of thing but the stones are too well laid out in unnatural shapes and alignments. There is one pile of stones which has three flat slabs perched on top of other large blocks in a row. Perhaps the whole thing is one giant burial mound. It is all covered with trees with lots of birds singing and a woodpecker pecking away with its loud ratatatatattatt.

Bas Villette Dolmen

Trip No.202  Entry No.40  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Couldn't find on 30th Apr 2005

Log Text: I could find nothing here despite it being marked on my ign map. It is perhaps in private woodland.

Dolmen de la Crête

Trip No.202  Entry No.39  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: To find this allée couverte do not attempt to get to it from the east side through the forest (which looks to be easy on my map but most certainly is not) but proceed towards it from the village of Vautorte a couple of kilometres to the west. Signposted from the village (badly) when you get to near the site there is nowhere to park a camper van although a car may be OK.

This allée couverte is extremely well hidden in Mayenne Forest. The last signpost I saw vaguely pointed into the middle of the forest and any of three tracks could have been the right one ! This being my third attempt to find this (it’s well known from the excavations done here) I didn’t give up and after almost an hour searching I found it. It’s becoming well overgrown despite the fairly recent excavations. The main chamber is about 9 metres long by 1.5 metres wide oriented east west at 080°. Four capstones remain resting on the 11 stone uprights on the north side and 8 on the south side. The entrance is probably from the east end which is only one metre wide and less high and there seems to be a small antechamber at the west end. Some stones of its cairn remain around the outside.

Menhir du Faix du Diable

Trip No.202  Entry No.38  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: A massive menhir right beside the road and standing in the ditch. It must be well over 4 metres tall 3 metres wide and over a metre thick and it looks to have been smoothed.

Clivay Menhir

Trip No.202  Entry No.37  Date Added: 28th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: A 2.5 to 3 metre tall menhir in a splendid position near the l’Ernée river below a lovely castle/chateau on top of a bluebell filled wooded hillock. It looks as if the top may have been broken off. There are several other large blocks of stone around I wonder if this was once a large boulder that fell from the sort of tor that the chateau is built on that was modified into a menhir.

Broussardière Menhir

Trip No.202  Entry No.36  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 29th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This menhir is about 2.5 to 3 metres in height and about 1.5 metres in width. It is found just a few yards away from the side of the road from Larchamp to Montflaux near a little pond beside a stream and is easy to see despite the very frisky bullocks in the adjacent field trying to get at me!

La Tardivière

Trip No.202  Entry No.35  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 29th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Another little Mayenne allée couverte about 6 or 7 metres in length facing uphill and eastwards. It is in fairly ruinous condition with only one capstone remaining at the top end of about 8 pairs of upright stones. There is a large end stone at the lower western end.

It is found in open rolling countryside marked on my ign map but not signposted. At the time of my visit it was in an open field about a hundred metres down the farm track from the country lane where I parked. About 30 metres down from the dolmen was a fairly large stone at the side of the farmtrack. Possibly a marker stone for the tomb but I suspect more likely one of the stones from the allée couverte moved away and dumped at some point.