Piprais menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.15  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This 4.5 metre tall menhir can be found in a field of sweetcorn just to the northeast of the village of Monterrain, near to a roadside cross. The menhir, a white quartz looking stone, seems to be splitting into two. Apparently there is another fallen stone nearby, but hidden from view by the maize.

Maison Neuve menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.16  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a beautiful white quartz menhir standing beside the road to Morhannais to the northeast of Monterrain. It is about 3.5 metres high, and there are several other blocks of quartz beside it, which are either bits which have fallen off it, another broken menhir, or simple field clearance stones. The menhir is nicely shaped at the top which seems to rule out the first option. Even in the bright hot sunshine of the day I visited, the stone felt nice and cool. Lovely.

Dolmen de la Maison-Trouvée

Trip No.204  Entry No.14  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is an Angevin type dolmen with a massive rectangular chamber still mostly buried within its tree covered mound. The chamber is about 4.5 metres by 2.5 metres and is topped by a massive 6 metres by 3 metres capstone. As often seems to be the case with the Angevin dolmens I have seen, the side slabs are accurately shaped so that they fit together extremely well, and the whole chamber is very straight sided and regular. Unusually, the portal doorway opens towards the west. I cannot tell how high the chamber is, or whether there is a floor, as the thing is still half buried. The circular mound, about 20 metres in diameter, has lots and lots of white quartz stones in its makeup. It has been dated to about 3000 BC. It is signposted and easily found from the village of Monterrein.

Grand Village allée couverte

Trip No.204  Entry No.17  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the southeast of the village of Caro, and signposted with a little parking area, can be found this allée couverte, a few hundred metres walk from the parking. It is one of the longest allée couvertes around, at about 25 metres, but apart from the two large end stones, not much is left standing or in its proper place. The chamber is oriented at 145°, and is neither along the ridge or across it. The entrance is a lateral entrance, about in the middle of the southern side, and two side stones for the entrance porch can be made out. It would appear that as well as the stones for the main chamber, there are also many for the peristalith of its oval mound, which would not be very much bigger than the chamber itself. This is one site that would benefit enormously from a bit of restoration.

It has been a very hot day, and since the spear throwing competition I have been lacking inspiration. I have looked in my books, and driven about quite a lot, looking for sites not marked on the maps, but unless they have had signs, or I have been lucky, I have not been able to find many of them. Perhaps I should stop early and chill out a bit.

Chomet de Coëtplan

Trip No.204  Entry No.9  Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 10th Jul 2005

Log Text: Despite being on the signposts of the megalithic walk, I could not find this 4 metre tall menhir and its fallen companions. The menhir is the only one now standing of a little alignment, the other stones small and fallen, but it is on private property which is probably why I missed it, despite a very long walk towards it from at least two directions.

Pierres Droites (Monteneuf)

Trip No.204  Entry No.1  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: The true extent of these stones was only discovered in the last 20 years or so after a forest fire, yet this set of aligned menhirs is probably one of the most important in France. A visitor centre has been set up with interactive displays which show erection of menhirs, building of neolithic homes, crop growing, archaeological excavations etc etc.

Several hundred megaliths have been found here, of which many have now been re-erected in their original socket holes. I found it quite difficult to make out any patterns to what is here, perhaps there are several lines converging, or perhaps there are circles? Many of the stones are quite big, one being over 5 metres tall and 30 tonnes in weight, yet others are little side set slabs. Most are the local schist, yet some are blocks of white quartz, moved here from a good distance away.

This place is most intriguing, and somewhere I need to find out more about.

Les Bordouès

Trip No.204  Entry No.3  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is the remains of a small allée couverte, 8 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, with only one capstone still in place. There is a small entry porchway, separated from the main chamber by a large slab, at the southeast end. Excavations in 1976 found amongst other things five polished axes. Much of its oval mound still remains. It is to be found about a kilometres marked walk through the forest from the Monteneuf visitor centre.

Lande de Rousse

Trip No.204  Entry No.7  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Beside the track to the Loge Morinais is marked a menhir on the local maps. I had a good look around, and deep into the forest is what looked to me to be a row of fallen menhirs, with one large rock still protruding from the ground. It wouldnt surprise me if there was another row here, like those at the nearby Pierres Droites, or La Pièce Couverte.

La Roche Blanche

Trip No.204  Entry No.4  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Round Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This is a nice shining white quartz block within a sort of circle of local schist stones. It is thought to probably mark the grave of an individual, rather than being a collective grave. It can be found about a kilometres walk from the Monteneuf visitors centre, through the forests along a marked trail.

La Loge Morinais

Trip No.204  Entry No.6  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is the remains of an allée couverte made of the local purple schist, and can be found in the forest to the north east of the Monteneuf visitors centre, about a kilometre away along a signposted trail. It is about 13 metres long and has an orientation of due east to west. There is an entrance lobby at the east end, and an antichamber at the west, but no capstones remain in place.

It can be easily found from several places with signposted forest walks. The day I was here, there was a nearby target set up for the prehistoric shooting championships.

Centre Les Landes

Trip No.204  Entry No.2  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: A visitor centre has been set up amongst the Pierres Droites near to the village of Monténeuf, which has interactive displays which show erection of menhirs, building of neolithic homes, crop growing, archaeological excavations etc etc. Around the centre have been found several hundred megaliths, with most of the stones was only discovered in the last 20 years after a forest fire.

When I visited in July 2005, they were holding a round of the world "prehistoric shooting" championships, which included both bow and propulseur categories. On the hot sunny Sunday afternoon of this weekend event, the whole place was very busy, with all sorts of demonstrations in full swing. There was basket weaving, corn grinding, pottery making, stone polishing, mud wall making, flint knapping, fire making, cookery, archery, spear throwing and many other things, all of which the public was invited to have a go at, especially the children. What an excellent place this is.

The Atlatl (propulseur) competition is very impressive. i wondered just how much better than a plain spear it is, and was well impressed with both the power and accuracy achieved by many of the competitors. There was one chap that not only nearly hit the bull every time, but launched his spear so hard it went halfway through the target. I got lots of pictures of this, including the organiser with whom I had conducted a little interview with yesterday. Well worth going back for.

La Pièce Couverte

Trip No.204  Entry No.5  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 9th Jul 2005

Log Text: This is now not much more than a line of a dozen or so slabs positoned in a line of about 10 metres length, and is probably the remains of an allée couverte. Several of the slabs are marked with cupules and symbols.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.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.

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.