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Menhir de Clotte
Trip No.203 Entry No.223 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Couldn't find on 2nd Jun 2005
Log Text: I found both a Chateau de Clotte and a Moulin de Clotte but not the menhir.
Dolmen de Puy Landry
Trip No.203 Entry No.222 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3
Dolmen de Puy Landry submitted by thecaptain on 9th Jan 2006. Close inspection shows the main stone to be about 1.5 metres tall with a fallen companion about a metre away to the north. These stones are on top of a mound running in an easterly direction and there are several other stones lying about in the vicinity, which leads me to suspect that this is indeed the remains of a dolmen or allée couverte, rather than a menhir.
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Log Text: The old chap at Chateau Pierre Levée knew of this dolmen's existence but the chap at Puy Landry winery didn’t but he pointed me in the direction of a menhir on the top of Puy Landry hill about a kilometre to the north but ce n’est pas grand.. I initially thought it was too far to go walking to in the intense heat and suspected he was pointing me to the Clotte menhir on the ridge but having driven nearby to have a better look it didn’t seem so far. About 400 metres from the D21E road up a track between the vineyards to the top of the ridge and in the woodland can be seen a standing stone.
Closer inspection shows the stone to be about 1.5 metres tall with a fallen companion about a metre away to the north. These stones are on top of a mound running in an easterly direction and there are several other stones lying about in the vicinity which leads me to suspect that this is indeed the remains of a dolmen or allée couverte.
Pierre Levée (Salles-de-Castillon)
Trip No.203 Entry No.221 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5
Pierre Levée (Salles-de-Castillon) submitted by thecaptain on 4th Jul 2005. La Pierre Levée, Salles-de-Castillon, Gironde.
This was one of the more interesting sites I found in my last session in France. It comes with its own wine, made by the chap in the picture, in his "chateau" at which this menhir is at the entrance.
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Log Text: This one comes with its own wine! While driving from Peyre Lebade towards Clotte I saw this stone standing at the entrance to a farmhouse wine producer and noticed that the farm was called Chateau de la Pierre Levée.
I stopped to have a better look and a man on his tractor in the vineyard came over to me so I tried to ask him about the stone. Apparently somewhere in his garage he has an archaeological panel with some information on it which he intends to get erected by the stone but he couldn’t find it. He called his wife who told him it was in the garage and went to look for herself also to no avail ! At this point I enquired of their wine and got taken on a little tour of the place and a tasting or two (how could I refuse?) so of course bought a case of mixed vintages for a very reasonable price as a souvenir.
The menhir at the entrance is just over 2 metres tall but I have to say looks fairly recently erected there although the stone looks as old as the hills. I think I saw somewhere that the menhir after which the wine is named was in a corner of a field. Perhaps it has been fairly recently moved here. It’s a pity I couldn’t fully converse with the chap he had a thick accent which didn’t help and although we chatted well about simple things the details were missed.
Peyre Lebade
Trip No.203 Entry No.220 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5
Peyre Lebade submitted by thecaptain on 9th Jan 2006. Peyre Lebade near the village of Salles-de-Castillon in Gironde.
In the corner of the road junction to the west of the village centre can be seen a small standing stone fenced in to a little grassy garden area.
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Log Text: While looking at the village map by the Mairie to see if it marked any of the supposedly local ancient stones I noted an area called Peyre Lebade so of course I went to have a look. In the corner of the road junction here to the west of the village centre can be seen a small standing stone fenced in to a little grassy garden area. It cant be much more than a metre tall and is well weathered so I assume it’s a proper menhir.
Grotte de Bara-Bahau
Trip No.203 Entry No.219 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Access 4
Grotte de Bara-Bahau submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Jan 2011. This cave (cave of the bears), which was only discovered in 1951, features many engravings dated to 14000 years ago and also many bear claw marks.
Up the hillside and well signposted from Le Bugue it was closed for lunch when I visited!
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Log Text: This cave (cave of the bears) was only discovered in 1951 features many engravings dated to 14000 years ago and also many bear claw marks. Up the hillside and well signposted from Le Bugue it was closed for lunch when I visited.
Grotte de la Mouthe
Trip No.203 Entry No.218 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 2nd Jun 2005
Grotte de la Mouthe submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Jan 2011. Now closed to the public, this cave was discovered in 1895 and was pivotal in the argument for the decorations being of ancient origin.
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Log Text: Now closed to the public this cave was discovered in 1895 and was pivotal in the argument for the decorations being of ancient origin. Apparently there are artworks from many different periods of the prehistoric past in here from the Gravettian through Mousterian to the Magdelenian. This cave is up a very windy rough track from Les Eyzies which I very nearly got stuck up due to a narrowing of the track on the way down the other side between a couple of farm buildings through which a camper van won’t fit. I just about managed to turn round using a farm lawn and got to go back down the way I had come up!
Roc de Cazelle
Trip No.203 Entry No.217 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Access 4
Roc de Cazelle submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Jan 2011. This place has been inhabited from 40,000 years ago right up until the 1960’s when the last farmer and his wife moved on.
There is an overhanging cliff with several levels of caves and shelters and these days is a little visitor park showing life in the troglodytic fashion since prehistoric times.
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Log Text: This place has been inhabited since 40000 years ago right up until the 1960’s when the last farmer and his wife moved on. It is an overhanging cliff with several levels of caves and shelters and these days is a little visitor park showing life in the troglodytic fashion since prehistoric times with many little scenes recreated and artisans demonstrating their trades and crafts.
Grotte de Bernifal
Trip No.203 Entry No.216 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Access 4
Grotte de Bernifal submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Jan 2011. This cave was discovered in 1905 and contains engravings of humans as well as the more usual animals.
It was closed to visitors when I visited in May 2005, but nevertheless it was a nice walk through splendid woodland with a little stream running nearby up to the entrance.
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Log Text: This was closed to visitors when I arrived but nevertheless it was a nice walk through splendid woodland with a little stream running nearby up to the entrance. The cave was discovered in 1905 and contains engravings of humans as well as the more usual animals.
Giverzac Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.215 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 16th Jan 2012. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5
Giverzac dolmen submitted by theCaptain on 16th Jan 2012. Remains of a little dolmen now outside the gates to the Banque de France’ Giversac Enterprise Centre, where it is used for sheltering a couple of floodlights.
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Log Text: Remains of a little dolmen now outside the gates to the Banque de France’ Giversac Enterprise Centre and it shelters a couple of floodlights. The capstone is about 2.5 by 2 metres broken at one end and it sits on a few various support stones. I suspect it’s been jumbled about a bit.
Finding this involved some extremely steep and narrow lanes up the vertiginous sides of the Dordogne river from Vitrac and getting away again after was just as bad as the roads through Domme are banned to campervans due to the small narrow cliff face hanging roads so although you can park next to the dolmen an access rating of 5 is perhaps a bit high ! There are no signs.
Fontaine des Chartreux
Trip No.203 Entry No.214 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 1st Jun 2005. My rating: Access 4
Fontaine des Chartreux submitted by theCaptain on 16th Jan 2012. Cross the wonderful Pont Valentré from the old town of Cahors, contained within its loop of the Lot river, and walk south along the riverside for a few hundred metres, and you will find this huge spring in the cliffside, with the crystal clear water surging out.
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Log Text: Cross the wonderful Pont Valentré from the old town of Cahors, contained within its loop of the Lot river, and walk south along the riverside for a few hundred metres, and you will find this huge spring in the cliffside, with the crystal clear water surging out. Two thousand years ago, the Fontaine des Chartreux was used for the worship of Divona, or Divona Cadurcorum, "Divona of the Cadurci," a Celtic people of Gaul before the Roman conquest in the 50s BC. Many coins, minted between 27 BC and AD 54 and thrown into the water as offerings, have been discovered by archaeologists here.
Peyre Levade (La Borie Rouge)
Trip No.203 Entry No.213 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 17th Jan 2012. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4
Peyre Levade (La Borie Rouge) submitted by theCaptain on 17th Jan 2012. Remains of a small dolmen in a garden just to the north of Lalbenque.
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Log Text: Remains of a small dolmen in a garden just to the north of Lalbenque. It is not well cared for and has had a large hedge planted between it and the roadside to presumably stop people like me having a look. In fact it looks as if one of the side slabs has recently been split.
Dolmen dit la Pierre Levée (Pélissie)
Trip No.203 Entry No.212 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4
Dolmen dit la Pierre Levée (Pélissie) submitted by theCaptain on 21st Jan 2012. The 4.5 by 2.5 metre capstone sits on not much of the crumbling side slabs but is nicely covered in moss.
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Log Text: Just to the south of the crossroads at Pélissie on the D6 road 50 metres up a little track and into a small woodland area can be found the remains of this dolmen. The 4.5 by 2.5 metre capstone sits on not much of the crumbling side slabs but is nicely covered in moss.
Dolmen de Cuzoul 2 (Lalbenque)
Trip No.203 Entry No.211 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st May 2005
Dolmen de Cuzoul 2 (Lalbenque) submitted by johnstone on 11th Nov 2018. Big capstone, the rest is insignificant, Aug.31, 2018
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Log Text: Near to the Balach farm a couple of kilometres south of Lalbenque along the D6 I could find no easy way through to this dolmen with the fields being electrically fenced to keep a herd of bullocks in and a barley crop growing in another field so I gave up after a reasonable try.
Dolmen de Cuzoul 1 (Lalbenque)
Trip No.203 Entry No.210 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st May 2005
Dolmen de Cuzoul 1 (Lalbenque) submitted by johnstone on 11th Nov 2018. The west side, Aug.31, 2018
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Log Text: Near to the Balach farm a couple of kilometres south of Lalbenque along the D6 I could find no easy way through to this dolmen with the fields being electrically fenced to keep a herd of bullocks in and a barley crop growing in another field so I gave up after a reasonable try.
Mas de Labat 2
Trip No.203 Entry No.209 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
Mas de Labat 2 submitted by ocdolmen on 30th Jul 2006. Mas de Labat dolmen 2.
There are 2 dolmens called Mas de Labat. One is covered and the other has lost its capstone.
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Log Text: This is an odd dolmen incorporated into a wall. The small entrance below the capstone opens up into a typical 3m by 15 m chamber. The capstone itself is piled high with stone. Its not an easy dolmen to find with lots of windy lanes to negotiate before getting anywhere near the place and after that it took a bit of searching around in scrubby area round the back of a house and across a couple of fields.
Mas de Labat 1
Trip No.203 Entry No.208 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3
Mas de Labat 1 submitted by ocdolmen on 30th Jun 2007. photo of Mas de Labat dolmen 1.
This monument has lost its capstone (it is 2 metres far from the burial chamber)
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Log Text: Once the lane through Mas de Labat has been found this one is fairly easy to find as it is given away by the mound at the top of the hill amongst some scrubland in a field. Having said that it seems to be becoming very overgrown and indeed is not much more than a mound at the top of a hill now. At the centre of the mound a small 2 m by 0.7 m chamber can be seen between two side slabs visible amongst the bush. There was no sign of any capstone.
Agranel Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.207 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st May 2005
Agranel dolmen submitted by ocdolmen on 30th Jul 2006. Site in Midi:Lot (46)
Agranel dolmen, Lot, France
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Log Text: This dolmen marked on the ign 1:25000 map is at the top of a hill in a well fenced off area of scrubland with no obvious parking place so I didn’t bother too hard to try and find it.
Peyre Gagès Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.206 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4
Peyre Gagès dolmen submitted by theCaptain on 2nd Mar 2015. Peyre Gagès dolmen can be seen just about 20 metres to the east of the D143 road a few kilometres to the north of Limogne. It stands in a field with traces of its mound still around it and can clearly be seen from the road.
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Log Text: This dolmen can be seen just about 20 metres to the east of the D143 road a few kilometres to the north of Limogne. It stands in a field with traces of its mound still around it and can clearly be seen from the road. The field had a herd of cows in it at the time of my visit and was well fenced so I didn’t go to inspect it at close hand. It looks to be a bit smaller than the average dolmen in these parts.
Dolmen de Pech Grillé
Trip No.203 Entry No.205 Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5
Dolmen de Pech Grillé submitted by theCaptain on 2nd Mar 2015. The remains of this dolmen can be found just beside the D143 road to the north of Limogne but is a bit of a wreck.
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Log Text: The remains of this dolmen can be found just beside the D143 road to the north of Limogne but is a bit of a wreck. The capstone has split in two along the length of the chamber with the two pieces falling one to each side of the two side slabs. As a result it now looks something like 4 parallel slabs of stone with only one half of the capstone leaning against its upright. The chamber would have been the average 3.5 metres long by 1.2 metres wide.
Dolmen de Pech Linar
Trip No.203 Entry No.204 Date Added: 20th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st May 2005
Dolmen de Pech Linar submitted by irundarra on 11th May 2011. Site in St. Jean de Laur (LOT).
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Log Text: This dolmen marked on the ign 1:25000 map is a longish walk up to the top of a steep hill in a densely wooded area so on this very hot afternoon with lots of other possibilities to visit I didn’t bother to try and find it.
Driving from here down the little road to the Lot valley, a large Eagle suddenly swooped into the hedge at the side of the road in front of me, and emerged after a struggle carrying a 4 foot long snake. Still struggling with the snake, it flew off down the valley, struggling to get aloft, with the snake wrigglng about. What a tremendous sight, I felt really privileged to see this. A real David Attenborough moment.