Menhir du Col de Solperiére

Trip No.205  Entry No.219  Date Added: 1st Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 24th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: At the north western end of the section of the Corniche-des-Cévennes along the high Causse near Le Hospitalet, where the road from Vebron joins at the Col de Solperière, can be found this menhir in the junction of the roads.

It stands about 2.3 metres high like its neighbour of a few kilometres distance, and has also been used as a road marker in the past, with some probable reshaping in the relatively recent past. Between these two stones, along the roadside, are several other similar looking standing stones. Closer inspection however shows that they are much more recent, with quarrying marks etc, and are purely more modern road markers.

La Baraque de l'Estrade

Trip No.205  Entry No.222  Date Added: 6th Dec 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Further along the D.35 from Montmirat, just before the junction with the D.31, a decent sized tumulus can be seen in the fields on the left, about 80 metres from the road. The mound is oval, about 15m by 12m and up to 2 m high. In the centre of this is a sort of double dolmen, with two joined chambers, each having two side slabs and a capstone. The western of the two has a backstone, while the eastern has a drystone walled end. The total length of the chamber is about 6 metres, and up to 2 metres wide at the centre. The floor to the chambers is paved, and there is not much more than a metre in height below the capstones. The two chambers do not align directly, but the general orientation is east to west, at about 100°, and the chambers are completely contained within the mound. This has of course been restored, but a very nice find.

Menhirs de la Fage A

Trip No.205  Entry No.226  Date Added: 6th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Couldn't find on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: Take the D.35 road east from the Col de Montmirat for just under 4 kilometres, and there is a signpost to menhirs down a footpath on the right. However, when I visited, this footpath takes you through a field of vicious looking cows, so I did not venture any further. Supposedly there are 15 small menhirs to be found in the woods, should you choose to go here.

Menhirs de la Fage B

Trip No.205  Entry No.228  Date Added: 6th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: In the area around the Pierre des Trois Communes, can be seen dozens of menhirs, which are collectively known as the La Fage menhirs B, or the Combettes menhirs. It was impossible to visit them all in the short time I was here, so I will add the few that I did go to visit at first hand.

Vaissière Menhirs

Trip No.205  Entry No.246  Date Added: 7th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: The Vaissière menhirs consist of more than forty menhirs, mostly found along the ridge running south from the D.35 road. The tallest of these menhirs is 5 metres in height. Some of these menhirs stand up really proudly against the skyline as you drive along. I would love to walk out among them, but not in this horrible stormy weather. There is much thunder, rain and lightning all around, with no signs of it clearing.

Menhirs dit de la Maisonnette 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.247  Date Added: 7th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: As I was driving past in the rain, I could see another hiltop covered in standing stones, where a possible cromlech has been identified here.

Baraque de l'Air Menhirs

Trip No.205  Entry No.248  Date Added: 7th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: I drove for a look in the rain, I could see another hilltop covered in standing stones, where a possible cromlech has been identified.

La Caune de l'Arago

Trip No.205  Entry No.86  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Sep 2005

Log Text: In a very pretty part of the world up on a cliff face above the vinyards, this is the cave where Tautavel man was found. Its a kilometer or so south of the town, up on a rugged hill near where the river cuts a gorge through the hills. This is of course all shut off to the public with buildings and shelters around it, as the excavations and research continue, 35 years after the finding of the ancient skull.

Tautavel Musee de Prehistoire

Trip No.205  Entry No.85  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 12th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I only came here to get a photo, assuming the museum would be closed on a Monday, but it was open, so thought I'd better go in. The museum contains hundreds of thousands of items found at the nearby Caune de l'Arago cave, where the remains of a human skull was found in July 1971, the skull being known as Arago item 21. Since then many others have been found, along with items of their food, tools etc etc. The finds have been dated to about 450,000 BC, and thus are amongst the earliest remains of humans found in Europe.

Tautavel man lead a life of hunting, and this is all displayed here also, with remains of many animals and suchlike which would have been around at that time. Tautavel man, however, is not an ancester of ours, as he lead up to Neanderthal man, which died out 30,000 years ago, to be replaced by Cro Magnon man.

While this should all have been very interesting, I have to admit to finding many of the displays quite dull and repetitive, and the awful American voice talking down to me in the audio guide was enough to put me right off. The whole museum seemed a bit 1970's and showing signs of age. The displays mostly consisted of bones and tools in glass cases, video presentations of certain things, and staged scenes using mannequins, with lots of keep off and don't touch signs. In my recent travels, I have seen many much better presented museums which bring the subject to life.

Bélesta Museum of prehistory

Trip No.205  Entry No.88  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Sep 2005

Log Text: Blimey, the roads round here are twisty and tight. There was no way I was able to park the van anywhere near the village for a look at this. So I had to give up totally on any thoughts of a visit to this supposedly excellent museum.

Peyro Dreta

Trip No.205  Entry No.90  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 12th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This fallen and broken menhir, once more than 4 metres tall, has beautiful views over the Fenouillades valley to the north, with Queribus castle and Tautavel clearly visible. The menhir can be found about a kilometres walk down a dirt track amongst the vines, about 0.7 kilometres to the west of the Col de Bataille. The start of the track is easy to find, as it is marked with a large menhir like stone at the junction beside the vineyards. Perhaps this stone itself was once a proper menhir, which has now been re-erected.

Puijols tumulus

Trip No.205  Entry No.87  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Artificial Mound Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Sep 2005

Log Text: Just to the northwest of the village of Tautavel, on the opposite side of the river, is a massive tumulus, which must be about 100 metres in diameter and 20 metres high, complete with terracing and grapes growing on it !

Moli del Vent

Trip No.205  Entry No.89  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 12th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: At the top of the hill to the north west of the village of Bélesta can be found the superb but restored remains of this lovely little dolmen-a-couloir. The little chamber is about 2 metres by 1 metre, and the south side is approached by a corridor 5 metres long from the edge of the cairn, made with a few upright slabs and drystone walling. The chamber has an upright slab at each side, and two back slabs, topped by a gorgeously shaped capstone about 3m by 2m. The whole thing is contained within a round cairn, about 9 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres high.

The views from up here are superb, the Fenouillades valley to the north, and the Canigou brooding in amongst the clouds to the south west today. The dolmen is less than a kilometre walk up a good track from a junction of minor roads with plenty of space for parking, and is well worth the effort. It is possible that there are remains of other monuments round the area.

Dolmen de Serrat d'en Jacques

Trip No.205  Entry No.92  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: A couple of hundred metres from the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, following the footpath uphill through the scrub to the east, up towards Serrat d'en Jacques, and you can find another dolmen, similar in size to the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, but this time with an entry passage through its cairn. I do not know the name of this dolmen, and I assume it has also been fairly recently restored.

The cairn is about 10 metres in diameter and surrounded by large slabs, with a height of about 0.5 metres. The dolmen, approximately central, has a chamber 3 metres long, and varying in width from about 1.8 m at the front to 1 m at the back. Again, the floor is paved, and there is a part height stone across the front. There are three side slabs each side, and a full height backstone. There were either several capstones, only one of which is now in position, or else a single large one has been broken. On top of the remains of the capstone are one or two cupules, but nothing much else in the way of engravings. To the southeast is an entrance chamber, facing 118°, paved and about 2.5 metres in length to the edge of the mound, making up to the full width of the chamber.

The views from this dolmen really are superb, but unfortunately slightly obscured by the highly scented scrubland. The Canigou is clearly visible to the southwest, but still enveloped in its clouds today. Excellent.

Dolmen d'A Fourna

Trip No.205  Entry No.93  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: About four hundred metres from the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, following the footpath through the scrub to the southwest (note, go back down the track for about 25 metres from the dolmen to find the path - it is not the "obvious" path leading away from the dolmen), around the southern side of the ridge, and you will find another dolmen of similar type.

This dolmen, which again I assume restored, is slightly smaller, in a round cairn about 8 metres in diameter. The dolmen chamber is about 2 metres long by 1 metre wide, and covered with two small capstones, sitting on blocky side supports, only to about 1.2 metres in height. It has an entrance passageway, wider than the chamber, which is 4 metres long and opens up on an alignment of 120°, directly pointing towards a large and significant mountain peak. The capstones are both engraved, the front, larger one having multiple cupules with the faintest of some lines and cupules, while the smaller backstone has an extremely clear cross, with maybe some other, more fainter markings.

What a lovely place it is up here, pity the sky is cloudy and the views unclear. It also makes me wonder just how many more of these dolmens there are to be discovered in the forests up on these mountains.

Dolmen de la Rouyre

Trip No.205  Entry No.94  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: High up on this mountain ridge between the villages of Fesluns and Ansignan in Pyrénées-Orientales can be found the remains of this cute little dolmen. I followed signs from Ansignan, but walked because I was not going to get the camper van up the steep, tiny, windy little roads, but a small car would get fairly close. I had no idea how far it was going to be to the dolmen, and perhaps wouldn't have started out had I known in advance. It turned out to be almost an hour brisk uphill walk before I made it to the dolmen.

It's a tiny little thing, just 2 metres in length by 1 metre wide, and a metre high. Two small capstones rest on 3 and 2 side supports, with a back stone and a half height stone at the front. There is evidence of a stone cairn, with encircling larger stones, about 8 metres in diameter. The chamber opens to the southwest at 240°, but perhaps this is the back. Maybe some of the chamber has disappeared, and it is possible that there was an entry corridor towards the southeast, but it is very hard to tell.

Was it worth the couple of hours of steep uphill walk for the visit? yes and no. The views were lovely once up here, and there were some beautiful butterflies to be seen in amongst the vines near the top of the ridge. Apart from driving to a closer position in a small car, it is possible that you could approach this dolmen from the west, which may also make it much easier to find.

Dolmen de la Creu de Falibe

Trip No.205  Entry No.91  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This lovely restored dolmen can be found in the hills to the south of the village of Saint-Michel-de-Llotes. Travelling south, turn left at the village beside the Catalane museum, over the bridge. Follow this road for several kilometres, twisting and turning up into the mountains, to the Col de la Croix de la Falibe. Its further than you would think, and you even start going downhill again before you get there, but once there its obvious, and has a sign to the dolmen along the large track to the left, with plenty of room to park. If you're feeling adventurous, it would be possible to drive along this stoney track, as I was walking along it a car did in fact pass me.

Go about a kilometre along the track, and at the top of the ridge you will fond the dolmen, contained within its circular cairn. The chamber is rectangular, 2.5 m by 1.5 , surrounded on all four sides by upright slabs. The capstone is supported on the two long sides by the side slabs, while at the ends the slabs do not reach the top. The chamber is paved, and has a single capstone on top, which is only 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres, just big enough to cover the chamber. The capstone is heavily carved, and has many cupules, lines and crosses engraved into the top. The crosses are made by joining between 4 small cupules. Some of the cupules are quite large, up to 10 cm in diameter, and these larger cupules are linked together with larger engraved lines, making a sort of fish shape around the capstone. The whole top of the capstone is carved, and is most intriguing. The dolmen itself is contained within the remains of a stone cairn, about 10 metres in diameter, and with large stone edging all the way round.

This is a lovely place to visit, well worth the time, and the views nearby, although not from the dolmen itself, are splendid.

Dolmen Da Cova de l'Alarb

Trip No.200  Entry No.51  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2000. My rating: Access 3

Log Text: Weekend to explore Collioure area. Drive coast road Port Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cerbere, into Spain, Portbou, Platja de Garbet to Figueras. Beautiful but slow. Signs to dolmens. Dali Museum brilliant. Back to Collioure through mountains, Argeles-sur-Mer. Look for the dolmens near Collioure, Fairly long walk up past the Chateau de Valmy, but only found one.

Dolmen dit Collets de Collioure

Trip No.200  Entry No.52  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2000. My rating: Access 3

Log Text: Weekend to explore Collioure area. Drive coast road Port Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cerbere, into Spain, Portbou, Platja de Garbet to Figueras. Beautiful but slow. Signs to dolmens. Dali Museum brilliant. Back to Collioure through mountains, Argeles-sur-Mer. Look for the dolmens near Collioure, Fairly long walk up past the Chateau de Valmy, but only found one.

Aqueduc d’Ansignan

Trip No.205  Entry No.95  Date Added: 7th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Ancient bridge and aqueduct spanning the river at the village of Ansignan, still used to irrigate crops on the opposite bank. It is built on the basis of a Roman bridge, probably from the 3rd century.

To cross the bridge, with the aqueduct built on top, you walk within an enclosed passage with a few holes for light, and it seems rather like walking along a passage within the walls of a castle.