La Roque-Saint-Christophe

Trip No.203  Entry No.74  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 18th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: In the gigantic cliff face on the opposite side of the river Vézère to the delightful village of Le Moustoir is found this World Heritage Site. It's an entire troglodytic city which was inhabited continuously from 50000 years ago until a few centuries ago. It's massive. Even knowing it is five levels high and having visited it 27 years ago doesn’t stop it being mind blowing. It's really awe inspiring.

I guess most of what is seen today dates back to the middle ages with all the rock hewn staircases and houses but even so the basic layout of the cliff face city hasn’t changed in millennia. It even has its own little harbour in the river.

Abri du Cap-Blanc

Trip No.203  Entry No.73  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 18th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: In this now walled up cliff shelter, there is a massive frieze of sculpted animals. It was discovered in about 1909, and still bears the scars of the picks used in the excavations, and some of the animals were destroyed. There are horses, bison and the main event, a 2 metre long horse and bison combined, the bison looking to the left, while the horse looks to the right.

This is a fantastic place to visit, but to be honest there is not so much to see as I thought there would be. And it was all spoiled by a coachload of geriatric Americans who would not shut up and listen, and went on and on and on..... I pretended to be French so that they would not try and talk to me, and so I could express my disgust at them !

Grotte des Combarelles 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.72  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 18th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: Its good being here in mid May while its not very busy as I can get to visit places like this. Visits are strictly limited to a couple of groups of up to six people at a time per day and often have to be booked several weeks in advance. But I enquired in the morning and got to be on the afternoon tour. Brilliant.

A couple of kilometres north of Les Eyzies beyond Fonte de Gaume in the base of a cliff face is found this cave entrance which in fact is two caves but with one common enlarged entrance dug out in the last century. The engravings within the cave were discovered by L Capitan D. Peyrony and Abbé Breuil on the 8th September 1901 and at that time there was not much credibility for any of the cave art which had been found as being ancient. But the findings within this cave proved that they were indeed many thousands of years old for sure and the rest is history. What went to prove the ancientness of the artwork in this cave is that the animals are engraved in the calcite coating of the cave walls which of course in places has been calcited over thus proving that they were not recent additions.

The tour of the cave lasts about an hour an on my visit there were just 4 of us including the guide (in French of course). I don’t know when but some time in the fairly recent past the cave has been enlarged by digging downwards below the passage making the visit possible in a stooped walk rather than the hands and knees crawl of the past. After a few hundred metres of twisting turning cave passage we get to the first engraving of a horse. It takes a while to see what is being shown but after a while the outline of a horse engraved into the calcite becomes clear. Then you see another one and another. There are engravings everywhere and just centimetres away. More than 600 engravings have now been identified and dated to between 10000 and 12000 years old. There’s a full zoo down there not only the many horses (which have very stylised zigzag markings on many of them) but bison mammoth cows

Font-de-Gaume

Trip No.203  Entry No.71  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 18th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Walk quickly the 2km from Les Eyzies to the entrance building for the cave, and am just in time to be a part of the 10:00 trip. Hooray. It is fantastic.

The colours don't seem so vivid as I recall, (probably from seeing pictures), but I am actually in the cave with these paintings, and could almost touch them if I wanted) strictly forbidden!) they are that close and available. They are said to date from 14000 years ago, dated by means of calcite build up dating methods as there is no charcoal in any of the paintings. There are bison, horses, reindeer, normal deer, a mammoth... Superb. In red and black but they look totally different with the lights on and off.

Entering the cave from the old entrance, the animals would have passed you by as you proceeded into the cavern, it is intended as a moving picture. These people could paint with perspective, something which became lost until the renaissance period only 500 years ago. Some of the animals are painted on flat surfaces. Some are made to fit the cave features. Some have been carved. The two deer, one licking the other, are amazing. I want to rate this place as 10 out of 5.

Abri de Laugerie-Basse

Trip No.203  Entry No.66  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: Just to the northwest of Les Eyzies on the west bank of the river Vézère is found the ancient cliff settlement of Laugerie Basse. Gisements and shelters in the cliff face which have been inhabited since Cro Magnon man right up to this day.

Pierre Plantée (Lisle)

Trip No.203  Entry No.62  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: As I was driving south along the D78 road coming into Lisle I saw a sign saying Pierre Plantée and there was a stone about a metre high stood just by the roadside. I cant be sure whether this is the actual Pierre Plantée referred to or indeed whether it is ancient but it isn’t new !

Pierre de Nautours

Trip No.203  Entry No.65  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: I wasn’t expecting this. I was just getting caught up in rush hour traffic on the outskirts of Périgueux when I saw this large brownish black megalith standing beside a busy roundabout. There was a bus stop conveniently right by it at which I was able to stop and have a decent look although I didn’t spend long here.

I assume its been moved here from Combe du Puy Gauthier wherever that may be and it was dedicated as a monument to somebody whose name I didn’t remember.

Peyrebrune (Seyssac)

Trip No.203  Entry No.64  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: A kilometre or so down a rough track called Chasse de Pierre Brune from the D109 near Segonzac can be found the remains of this rectangular chambered dolmen. The chamber has dimensions of about 3 m by 2 m and made with well positioned stone blocks. There is a capstone which only covers the western end.

It’s a pity about the chestnut trees growing in it.

Dolmen de Palus

Trip No.203  Entry No.63  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: In a field of Barley just beside the country lane from Douchapt to Ségonzac near the hamlet of Margot can be found the remains of this dolmen. Its not much more than a collection of four large brownish black rocks which I would guess are a capstone and three fallen supports. There’s still enough room underneath for the local wildlife to enjoy its shelter despite being ploughed right up to the stones.

Beauroulet Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.61  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: A 4 metres by 2.5 metre capstone of strange dark reddish brown/black rock sits slightly off the ground on top of some fallen grey limestone support stones. Its in a field just opposite a factory near a roadside restaurant at a junction with the busy D939 Brantôme to Périgueux road. Despite being in such a busy noisy and unsightly place it somehow felt calm as I sat here on the stone eating my lunch.

La Pierre Levée (Brantôme)

Trip No.203  Entry No.59  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This dolmen stands on a sort of village green thing just on the eastern outskirts of the delightful old town of Brantôme about 50 metres north of the D78 road. A single large capstone about 4 metres by 2 metres sits on 3 (or is it 4) support stones with the help of some modern building work about 2 metres off the ground. A couple of other stones remain fallen or broken nearby.

Peyre d'Ermale

Trip No.203  Entry No.58  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Marked on my ign map as a menhir but signposted along a track from the road as Dolmen I parked and walked to see what I could find.

What I eventually found after about a kilometre walk was a strange lump of natural rock which has been shaped has a squarish cut out in one side and a round basin to the south with little channels cut in the surrounding rocks to presumably collect water.

I have no idea what this is meant to be and indeed no idea whether this is the proper megalithic remains! Later I find out that this is indeed the remains of a megalithic burial chamber (dolmen a bit incorrect perhaps). And thet there is also a menhir nearby. I wonder where that was then.

Dolmen de Peyrelevade (Paussac)

Trip No.203  Entry No.57  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice little dolmen in a pleasant open bit of land with lots of orchids butterflies and lizards at the time of my visit on a sunny May morning. Its just off the D93 between St Vivien and Paussac 50 metres down a little track which is signposted from the road.

The dolmen consists of a strangely layered dark reddish brown/black capstone sitting on 5 limestone supports about 2 metres off the ground covering a chamber of dimensions approximately 3m by 2m. What looks like a further fallen capstone and an extra chamber is at the western end and there are lots of big stones around. Perhaps it was once a much bigger or multiple chambered type of thing.

Dolmen de la Boucharderie

Trip No.203  Entry No.55  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This was a bit of a bugger to find what with road building schemes and diversions taking me miles away and then very narrow lanes with tight corners and no passing places through Cognac vineyard country. There was nothing obvious so I parked and asked people at the farm who gladly pointed me to some trees in the middle of a freshly planted field of maize. “C’est sous l’arbre un tres jolie photo”. I was assured it was OK for me to walk through the field to go and have a look so carefully I did.

Well hidden under the trees (elder hawthorn and a big walnut tree) is a nice little dolmen with a rectangular chamber about 3 metres by 2 metres with a single capstone on top about a metre thick. There are about 6 support slabs still in place and a few more broken or fallen. Its well liked by rabbits and other local wildlife and the chamber is absolutely full of walnut shells and sweetcorn remains.

Ligné tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.53  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Yet another great big round tumulus within a wooded area in the middle of a field. The mound is approximately round about 30 metres in diameter and 5 metres high inside the middle of which is a dug out chamber which is all falling in and not in a very good state. There is an obvious entrance passage as well which has all fallen in or been dug out. There are still several side slabs in place in both the chamber and the entrance passage and indeed there seems to be a couple of capstones still in position on the entrance couloir particularly where it meets the chamber.

This monument is in need of some TLC and could perhaps be a real cracker. It’s hard to judge these burial mounds for condition. Is it all a bit of a wreck with nothing much to see therefore getting a low score or is it still nearly all in place thus getting a very high score ? After all a chamber still within its cairn is surely better than a few stones of a ruined chamber alone ?

Dolmen dit la Motte-de-la-Garde

Trip No.203  Entry No.50  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: A bit further south along the trackway is a suspicious looking bit of woodland at the top of a hillock so I went to have a look. On venturing inside there is a socking great big stone mound perhaps 6 metres high and about 50 metres by 30 metres in dimensions. Walking further into the wood there are a few big stones and then Da Daaahhh ! A chamber which can be got down into. Its about 2 metres square with a massively thick crude capstone perched on top of well made side slabs hidden amongst the trees.

A fantastic find. I knew nothing of this place before I came (there’s nothing on even the ign 1:25000 map) and just followed my nose. But beware the whole of the chamber is not covered and bits of the sides are falling in. Be very careful not to fall in from above as I nearly did.

Maison de la Vieille Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.49  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Further on along the track and to the south of where it crosses a perpendicular trackway can be seen a little wooded area inside a cultivated field. This is just where I had seen the dolmen symbol on the 1:25000 ign map I had earlier looked at in the shop so I went for a look. Having crossed the field to the little copse I found a bramble and bush covered mound the vegetation almost too thick to penetrate. But inside this can be seen a broken capstone about 3 by 2 metres and 0.6 metres thick. There is no obvious chamber or side slabs to be seen underneath but its all a bit of a jumble.

La Grosse Pérotte

Trip No.203  Entry No.48  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: There are several dolmens marked along a ridgetop to the west of the village of Fontenille, so I went for a look. The whole area abounds with tumulus and mounds perched on the hilltops. The map may have only 4 or 5 marked, but there are many more here. As I was parking to go walking along the ridgetop track signposted "Dolmens", A white van parked nearby, and out got a little old man, wondering if I was looking for the dolmens. When I said yes, and he realised I was keen, he went back to his van and got a folder out containing lots of pictures. He told me he was an archaeologist, and collected flints etc. He has thousands, all photographed and catalogued. Flint tools, axes, arrowheads, polished stone tools, some polissoir stones, some copper arrowheads, some pottery, a female goddess icon, through Roman coins and other remains, reight up to a royal seal from the time of Napoleon, all found round here. He was obviously very proud of his collection, and was interested that I was here and perhaps writing a book for the English. It was a pity I couldnt make myself fully understood to him, or him to me, but he was an excellent find ! We agreed that there were many many tomb remains round here, everywhere you looked you could see something, must be well into double figures without even trying.

About 50 metres further along the ridgetop trackway from La Petite Pérotte dolmen, is a second dolmen sitting on top of its mound, La Grosse Pérotte dolmen, and there is much more of it remaining. It has one of the biggest capstones I have seen till now, more than 5 metres by 5 metres and up to 2.5 metres thick, sitting on top of an exceptionally well made rectangular chamber, lined with stone slabs. Unfortunately the capstone has split, and collapsed at one corner. As with its neighbour, there are many large stones surrounding the remains of the mound. The main chamber is about 4 metres by 3 metres, and was once made with impeccably well fitted and squared slabs, more like a modern stone sided vault than an ancient dolmen, but unfortunately many of them are now collapsing under the weight of the enormous capstone, no longer supported by the mound around it. One of the stones has the remains of a carving in relief, which has been broken. All we are left with is two smoothed shapes, which look to me like a pair of legs, but I have since seen that they are thought to be hooks. On another of the stones is carved an axe, but I did not notice this. Outside of the main chamber are more stone slabs, perhaps the remains of secondary chambers, or more likely the remains of an entrance passageway. There was once a signpost here, but it has now been broken and gone missing. Just looking around from this place, there are mounds to be seen on hilltops everywhere you look. I must go and explore a few more of them.

La Petite Pérotte

Trip No.203  Entry No.47  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: There are several dolmens marked along a ridgetop to the west of the village of Fontenille, so I went for a look. The whole area abounds with tumulus and mounds perched on the hilltops. The map may have only 4 or 5 marked, but there are many more here. As I was parking to go walking along the ridgetop track signposted "Dolmens", A white van parked nearby, and out got a little old man, wondering if I was looking for the dolmens. When I said yes, and he realised I was keen, he went back to his van and got a folder out containing lots of pictures. He told me he was an archaeologist, and collected flints etc. He has thousands, all photographed and catalogued. Flint tools, axes, arrowheads, polished stone tools, some polissoir stones, some copper arrowheads, some pottery, a female goddess icon, through Roman coins and other remains, reight up to a royal seal from the time of Napoleon, all found round here. He was obviously very proud of his collection, and was interested that I was here and perhaps writing a book for the English. It was a pity I couldnt make myself fully understood to him, or him to me, but he was an excellent find ! We agreed that there were many many tomb remains round here, everywhere you looked you could see something, must be well into double figures without even trying.

Remains of a nice dolmen splendidly positioned on top of a ridge, with many other dolmens and tumuli in the vicinity, a couple of kilometres to the southwest of the village of Fontenille in Charente. Walking southwest from the D.61 along the ridgetop trackway signposted "Dolmens", and after about 800 metres you get to the remains of La Petite Pérotte dolmen. A massive capstone, 4 metres long by 2.5m wide and 1.5 metres thick is sitting on top of several smaller support stones, which have been very well shaped into blocks to make a very regularly formed square chamber below. Just to the southeast is another smaller capstone, under which is what seems to be another little chamber. Perhaps this was once part of the entranceway to the chamber proper. It's all still on top of a small mound which has several large stones surrounding it.

Folatière Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.45  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Much wrecked remains of a dolmen, near to the hamlet of Bel Air, a couple of kilometres to the northeast of the village of Luxé in Charente. At first I assumed the dolmen would be part of the tumulus and so was disappointed that I could not get to see it. However later in the day having seen a detailed map of the area I saw that the dolmen was marked a bit to the northeast of the tumulus so I went for another look. This time I saw a large stone in an orchard area ao went for a closer look. It would appear to be the capstone of a dolmen lying on the ground at a very steep angle. I could not tell whether it was on its own or there were any support stones underneath.