Men-Milene

Trip No.203  Entry No.363  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 12th Jun 2005

Log Text: To the southwest of the Chat Noir roundabout is the hamlet of Kerangoff, where there can be found a dolmen and a menhir. The menhir proved impossible for me to find, hidden somewhere in the forest behind the houses amongst the ferns and gorse, despite a longish walk around all the area.

Kermané Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.362  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the southwest of the Chat Noir roundabout is the hamlet of Kerangoff, where there can be found a dolmen and a menhir. The dolmen is easy to find, right beside the track amongst the houses, but is very overgrown. It has a large 4 metre by 3 metre chamber with the capstone supported on 8 sidestones, and an iron bar.

Kerran Dolmens

Trip No.203  Entry No.361  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: From the busy Chat Noir roundabout to the south of Crac'h, take a small lane to the southeast, a few hundred metres along which you find a little clearing to the right of the lane within which this tomb resides. I was not quite sure what to make of it, there are two obvious chambers, both still with capstones, but there looks to be more. I think it was probably two dolmens with entrance corridors, probably both once contained within a single mound.

The first, western chamber, has a 3 metre by 3 metre capstone on a chamber twice the size, possibly seperated into two by an internal stone. The eastern chamber is 3 m by 2 m and has an end stone, with a probable entrance to the south. As with most of the lesser known monuments around here, it is all becoming very overgrown with gorse and brambles, which is a real shame.

There was once a third dolmen here, which was bought and then completely removed in order to make a family tomb of the Archéologist Jean-Baptiste Piketty (1827-1884) in the cemetary at Meudon.

Kercadoret Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.360  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This nice little dolmen stands proud at the edge of its field, well hidden behind a big hedge beside the D718 road a few kilometres to the north of Locmariaquer. Look carefully, and there is a pathway through the hedge and wooded area. The dolmen is about 2.5 by 2 metres, and the single capstone sits on top of 6 support stones.

Kervéresse Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.359  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Jun 2005

Log Text: I couldn’t be sure that I found this dolmen, what I did see was a bit of a mound covered in thick undergrowth in a private garden beside the D718 road to the north of Locmariaquer.

Pointe Er Hourél Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.358  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: This dolmen is in just about the best position of any I have been to, out near the end of Er Hourel point in a little pinewood. Access is either by a fair walk from the nearest car park for Plage St Pierre, or the way I did it was by an excellent off road bike route from Locmariaquer, which took me along country lanes, across tidal weirs, up a creek, round some gardens and a few places where I had to carry the bike before reaching the last kilometre along the sands. This route is not to be attempted at high tide !

When I was here, the sun was setting in the west over Carnac and the Arzon peninsular was all lit up in the golden sky to the east, Quiberon and the islands can be seen across the sea speckled with sailing boats, while the wind rushes through the pines. Absolutely smashing. Pity that I have to make my way back soon.

The dolmen isn't much, a few support stones standing round a fallen capstone of what would have been a 2 metre wide chamber. How long it would have been is anybodies guess, it could be just 2 metres, or it could be like the nearby Pierres Plates and be up to 20 metres long. The floor of the chamber is paved.

Kerlud Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.357  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a simple chambered dolmen which has been incorporated into the end of a wall behind a farm in the hamlet of Kerlud. The single large capstone sits on top of several support stones around a 3.5 by 2.5 metre chamber, with dry stone walling filling the gaps between the slabs. The entrance is to the east, and there are traces of a mound.

Pierres Plates (Locmariaquer)

Trip No.203  Entry No.356  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This famous angled passage grave with its many sculpted stones is right at the end of the Locmariaquer peninsular overlooking the sea, and still mostly within a small covering mound. The chamber turns about 45 degrees to the left after about 6 metres, with a side chamber bisecting the angle. From this corner, there is about another 10 metres of passage to the final chamber, seperated from the widening passage by a nicely carved stone. The carvings on the passageway side supports get more exotic the further you get into the monument.

Although the entire passageway is covered, I think most of the stones used are modern replacements. Take a good torch with you to see the details of all the carved stones. Unfortunately, my camera started misbehaving here, and the flash would not work properly, and so I couldn't get any decent pictures from within the tomb. However, this place is thoroughly documented in many other places.

Kerpenhir Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.355  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: About 3.5 metres tall, this menhir can be seen in the far hedge of a field, overlooking the entrance to the gulf of Morbihan, with all its boats racing in and out. What a superb position this would be if the hedge were not there ! The modern, sculpted menhir at Bilgroix stands right opposite on the eastern entrance to the gulf.

Mané-er-Hroëck tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.354  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Blimey, whatever next ? This is a large mound of stones, just to the south of the village of Locmariaquer. A path leads up between the houses to the top of the tumulus, of which the shape and size are indeterminate due to the houses all around it. Once on top of the tumulus, a set of relatively modern steps cut downwards into the heart of the mound through the stones. Down it goes, round a corner, and then, 10 metres in and 5 metres down, there is an entrance into a chamber.

It is a simple chamber, about 5 metres by 3 metres, but not quite high enough to stand up straight in. The walls are largely drystone, with a couple of large capstones forming the roof. I could not make out if there were any carvings, but it was dark and my lamp was fairly feeble. This is another fantastic find, and again passed by and missed by the masses. Take a good torch.

Mane-Rethuel Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.353  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I thought I had seen some pretty impressive megalithic constructions before, but the Locmariaquer ones are making me think again. This is a massively long passage grave, built in at least two different ages. The first stage is a 3 metre by 2 metre oval chamber at the end of a 10 metre passage opening at a bearing of 108°. At least one large ex menhir is used in the capstones of this passage.

Then at a later stage, a second 4 m by 3 m oval chamber was added at the back end, using part of a massive broken menhir, 11 metres in length, from near the Grande Menhir Brise as its capstone. This stone has a 6 metre long carving on its underside which gives evidence of its previous usage. Inside the first chamber are carvingss of axes, ploughs etc, and a stele, probably also moved here from elsewhere. Whoever built this monument must have employed a right bunch of cowboy builders, although their construction has stood the ravages of time well.

Mane Lud Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.352  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is just a few hundred metres away from the famed sites at the Grande Menhir Brise, but it is not visited by many people, yet I think it is a better site than the Table des Marchands.

Still within its large long cairn of stones, it doesn’t look much from the outside, just a large broken capstone at the western end of the long mound. But a closer inspection shows there to be a passage down past a little chapel which has been built onto the end of it, which allows access into a large chamber.

The chamber is about 4 metres by 3 metres, and high enough to stand up in, and has many decorated stones, with a carved floor stone with an axe or plough in raised relief. The passageway to the chamber is about 10 metres in length, with about 5 metres at the chamber end being still covered, while the first 5 metres are open and much altered by the building of the chapel.

La Table des Marchands

Trip No.203  Entry No.351  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Much has been written about this place by others already, and I wont spend valuable daylight by sitting and writing anymore for myself, except to say that it is all very different to what it was in 1987, and that the current thinking is that the Grand Menhir was once just one of 19 stood up in a row, and was toppled deliberately after only a couple of hundred years. The other menhirs were broken and used for other purposes.

Grand Menhir Brisé

Trip No.203  Entry No.350  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Much has been written about this place by others already, and I wont spend valuable daylight by sitting and writing anymore for myself, except to say that it is all very different to what it was in 1987, and that the current thinking is that the Grand Menhir was once just one of 19 stodd up in a row, and was toppled deliberately after only a couple of hundred years. The othher menhirs were broken and used for other purposes.

Er-Grah tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.349  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Much has been written about this place by others already, and I wont spend valuable daylight by sitting and writing anymore for myself, except to say that it is all very different to what it was in 1987, and that the current thinking is that the Grand Menhir was once just one of 19 stood up in a row, and was toppled deliberately after only a couple of hundred years. The other menhirs were broken and used for other purposes.

Dolmen de Kerourang 2

Trip No.203  Entry No.348  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 11th Jun 2005

Log Text: To the west of Crac'h, down beside the Riviere de Crac'h can be found the remains of another monument which is another important angled passage graves, rather like Luffang, but still with some of its capstones. Besides this are the remains of several other monuments.

Dolmen de Kerourang 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.347  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 3

Log Text: I couldn’t find this dolmen marked on my map on my way to Luffang, but stopped for another look on the way back, after another look at the map. It was very difficult to find, but it is still there to be seen, well hidden under very thick undergrowth. What I eventually found was, near to the trackway a couple of capstones sit on top of a little passageway completely surrounded and covered by gorse.

I later find out that there are in fact two monuments to be found here, within 20 metres of each other, and that they are both dolmen a couloir with large circular chambers, still fairly well preserved inside their mounds, still with some of their capstones. It's a great shame they are so overgrown and neglected.

While here looking about in the woods before I found this, I was approached by two offroad cyclists, who thought I was lost. I said no, I was searching for a dolmen, but they insisted that there was no dolmen here. I had left my map in the van, but they had one with them, so we compared notes, and I pointed to the clearly marked dolmen. No, they said, we are over here, pointing elsewhere. Well, I was pretty sure where I thought I was, as were they, so we agreed to differ, and go our different ways.

I decided to go back to the van, with just one more look in the woods where their map had confirmed that I should find something, and there it was - extremely well hidden. I called over to the cyclists, who had been standing about arguing and pointing at the map. They came, and I pointed out the stones. Oui, c'est vrai, c'est un dolmen! Turns out it was them that were lost ! They thanked me, and there was lots more bickering between them, then they parted with some very cheerful words and waving. As they cycled off, and they cycled off into the distance, the bickering turning to shouting and cursing, and a full scale argument ! I felt glad to have helped them out, as indeed they had helped me, by making me look just one more time for that damned dolmen !

Luffang Allée Couverte

Trip No.203  Entry No.346  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Easily found in woodland near Luffang, just to the west of Crac'h, this is the remains of a long allée-couverte type structure, but with no coverstones remaining. The allée is not straight, but turns to the left about 45° after 6 metres of the entrance, before another 14 metres of stonelined passageway takes you to the end. Although there are no capstones, many of the sidestones remain in position, and its in nice cool woodland on this hot afternoon.

I understand that there was once a particularly nicely carved stone making up a part of this monument, but I did not spot it on my visit. I wonder whether this site was once within a large mound, rather like the Kernourze tumulus ?

Tombelles de Kernourz

Trip No.203  Entry No.345  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: The tombettes vary in size from about 10 metres in diameter downwards, and most are nowadays fairly flat. Most consist of the outline of some sort of burial chamber, with a surrounding circle of stones. Various chamber types are to be seen, from simple rectangles to full length stone lined passages.

Tumulus du Rocher

Trip No.203  Entry No.344  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Signposted, and with a parking area, this is a great find. There is a little walk along a wooded headland above the Bono river, and not knowing what to expect here, I was more than pleasantly surprised. It is signposted "Tumulus et Tombettes", and as well as a big tumulus, there are the remains of half a dozen or more smaller tumuli approximately in a line along the ridgetop.

The large tumulus is 30 metres in diameter and about 5 metres in height, with a single entranceway in the southeastern side which is open to the public. Bring a torch. The entrance leads into a curving passage, which is approximately L shaped, and about 20 metres in length, two sections of about 10 metres each. The passageway is made up out of a mix of upright slabs and drystone walling, covered with capstones. It is not quite high enough to stand up in until the end of the passage, where it opens up to 2 metres wide and high. Several of the upright stones have carvings on them, axes, crooks, serpentines etc, but these were difficult to see in the dark with the poor light I had with me. FANTASTIC !

The tombettes vary in size from about 10 metres in diameter downwards, and most are nowadays fairly flat. Most consist of the outline of some sort of burial chamber, with a surrounding circle of stones. Various chamber types are to be seen, from simple rectangles to full length stone lined passages. I don't know why this place is not more well known, I didn't really know of it before I visited, and its one of my favourite sites so far. Think I'll go for another look inside the big mound.