Petit-Vieux-Sou

Trip No.202  Entry No.31  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 29th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: A little Mayenne Allée Couverte 2.5 km southeast of Brecé village which was has been restored. It is found in a little wooded area a few hundred metres south of the country lane by the farm of the same name and is sort of built into the side of a little hillock just above a little stream.

The main chamber consists of 9 capstones on 10 pairs of stones aligned on a bearing of 316° with the lateral entrance central on the south western side. The external dimensions are about 12 m by 4 m with the internal chamber about 1.5 metres in width and height and fully contained within its mound which is built of stone blocks with drystone walling on the SW side and the two ends.

There are quite a few other large stones scattered around in the pleasant little glade full of bluebells and other flowers at the time of my visit which was my first megalithic site in my new campervan. The first of many.

Pierres Pouquelées

Trip No.202  Entry No.30  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 26th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Much ruined allée couverte on top of the hilly downs to the northwest of the village of Vauville. I measured the remains out to about 12 metres in length but I have seen in a guidebook that the remains are said to be 17 metres long. Perhaps there are more stones under the undergrowth than I saw in the flattened grassy area.

There is only any remains of the central chamber of which can be seen about 9 pairs of stones and 2 remaining capstones in place with a couple more fallen in the middle. There is no sign of any outer peristalith and I could not determine where the entrance would have been. The allée couverte is aligned on about 150° and runs slightly downhill with a large perpendicular endstone still in place at the upper end. Looking along the tomb and it seems to align on the top of the large hill over the other side of the valley above the wonderful beach upon which I believe a menhir once stood.

Although the monument is much ruined it really is in a lovely position at the top of a big hill overlooking the sea with the rocky cliffs of Cap de la Hague stretching away to the northwest and the lovely long beach running south from Vauville. The Island of Alderney can be seen out in the sea and the viscious tide race between the mainland and Alderney can be seen in full flow at the right time of day. It can be reached by a longish and steep walk up from Vauville or alternatively it can be driven almost right to by following the road down towards it from the north and then following the unmade tracks from there which are marked on the 1:25000 scale ign maps.

Menhir de la Bergerie des Etennevaux

Trip No.202  Entry No.29  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 26th Apr 2005

Log Text: Menhir about 2 metres tall northwest of the village of St Germain-des-Vaux on Cap de la Hague right at the northwestern tip of the Cherbourg peninsular. I couldn’t get right up to this menhir and could only see it from two fields distance and judged the height from the size of the cows in the field with it.

Dolmen du Jogard

Trip No.202  Entry No.28  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 26th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 2 Access 3

Log Text: A much ruined dolmen just northwest of the village of St Germain-des-Vaux on Cap de la Hague right at the northwestern tip of the Cherbourg peninsular.

I am not 100 percent sure that what I saw and photographed in a downpour was the remains of this dolmen or not but it was in the right sort of place. What I saw was a single stone remaining in a field beside the track beyond the house called Le Jogard. I could not enter the field to see if there were any other stones flat to the ground here and there were several loose cows which came and wanted to inspect me !

Hague-Dick

Trip No.202  Entry No.27  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 26th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Cap de la Hague several square miles at the northwestern tip of the Cherbourg peninsula was once defended from the rest of the world by a 2 mile long ditch and bank which connected between two deep valleys to defend the whole area.

Much of this dyke has now been destroyed but a good section remains to the northwest of the village of Beaumont Hague where it can be clearly seen as the roads to Digulleville cut through it. The bank is generally about 4 metres in height but in places it must be nearer 10 metres tall with small ditches on the landward side. Excavations have shown that the bank was first built in the bronze age but much added to and increased during the time of the Viking occupation in the ninth century.

La Hutte-aux-Gabelous

Trip No.202  Entry No.26  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: What a fantastic find this little Allée Couvert is a couple of kilometres to the east of the village of St Mars beside the D534 near the crossing with the D118 and is to be found in a nice little wooded area with its own little car park and picnic site.

The monument is the remains of a little Allée Couvert about 18 metres long by 5 metres width which was excavated and part restored in 1992 the northwestern 2/3rds being restored to as original condition. the southeastern 1/3rd being left in as found condition.. The chamber has its major axis on an alignment of 140° and is about 1.8 metres in both width and height with an unknown length due to the east end being in ruined condition. There are 5 large capstones in place on top of 6 pairs of uprights with a nice large slab forming the end of the chamber. The entrance is at the eastern end of the southern side.

This monument is said to be fairly unique because of the rectangular nature of the external peristalith which is formed with contiguous upright slabs. The gap between the external walling and the main chamber is filled with stones for the restored part. Flints and pottery were found within the chamber from a whole range of periods.

I almost missed this as it was getting late in the day but decided to have a quick little detour on the way back to look at the little dolmen symbol marked on the map. I ended up spending quite a long time here it’s suddenly become one of my favourite little megalithic sites. I was even moved to just sit on one of the rocks at the end and do a little drawing.

Dolmen de la Pierre (Hercé)

Trip No.202  Entry No.25  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This small dolmen can be found a few hundred metres to the south of the D33 road turning first left travelling westwards from Hercé. It is a simple dolmen with a large capstone supported by several small uprights in a field just in front of a farmhouse. Access to the dolmen was not available at the time of my visit as it was in a field of young cows but there was a signpost towards it as if it is possible to get to it at other times.

Menhir de la Roche (Gorron)

Trip No.202  Entry No.24  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Couldn't find on 24th Apr 2005

Log Text: Unlike all the rest of the menhirs in this area I could find no signpost to this one despite it being clearly marked on the ign map and there being a large warehouse called Menhir Meubles or similar in the vicinity. After a while looking around I gave up not finding this one.

Menhir dit la Pierre Saint-Siviard

Trip No.202  Entry No.23  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Near L’Ervault on the D33 road from Ambrieres to Gorron this menhir can be found a few hundred metres north of the road up the trackway from the roadside cross. It is a smoothed menhir 2.5 to 3 metres tall in a little open area between fields used for storage of wood and other farm items.

Menhir de Moncorbeau

Trip No.202  Entry No.22  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Mayenne (53))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This menhir is found in a field just to the north of the village on the road to Vaucé beside a little stream and is probably more than 2 metres tall. There are a few other pieces of stone nearby which may have been broken from the menhir.

Chataigneraie Menhir

Trip No.202  Entry No.21  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This menhir is about 3 metres tall and can be found a couple of miles south of the village of Saint-Siméon from where it is signposted though its not on my ign map. It is a lovely smoothed menhir standing at the edge of a little copse across a field from the small lane.

Perron Menhir

Trip No.202  Entry No.20  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: At least 3 metres high this menhir is found signposted about 30 metres from the road in a private garden although access to the stone is allowed up a driveway. There are at least two other large stones laying nearby and I wondered if one of these pieces was broken from the top of the menhir but the owner of the was in the garden and assured me that these had been put there as a garden feature by the previous owner.

La Table aux Diables (Passais)

Trip No.202  Entry No.19  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Orne (61))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Blimey what a pleasure to find this monument signposted from the Mantilly to Passais road as well as marked on the ign map. Heading south along the small road just west of Passais and turn right just before a little fishing lake is reached. A few hundred yards up a small track and the monument is found in a field to the right.

A surprise find this is a smashing little lateral entry Allée Couvert is about 12 or 13 metres in length with an orientation of 049° Magnetic. The main chamber is about 1.5 metres in width with 4 large capstones still remaining on 6 pairs of uprights at the western end with a height of 2 metres at the end dropping to 1.5 metres at the open end. The eastern end is more ruinous and the entrance is near the eastern end on the south side. The internal faces of the chamber stones have been nicely smoothed and are very well aligned with each other the gaps being filled with drystone walling. The outer walling of the peristalith is almost complete around the northern side and there are many stones remaining of the cairn filling between the inner and outer walls in the northwest quadrant. Only about half of the outer wall of stones remain on the southern side.

Les Cartesières

Trip No.202  Entry No.18  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Couldn't find on 24th Apr 2005

Log Text: This T shaped gallery grave is the only one of this kind surviving in Normandy and is to be found in a zoo park near to the village. However on the day of my visit this park was well and truly shut and looked like it hadn’t been open in many years and was becoming very decrepit. No chance of getting in to see the monument.

Later note. Having seen the 1:25000 ign map of the area the dolmen is marked beside the little lane which runs down to the lakes along the western edge of the park. In fact its probably almost exactly where I stopped and had a look around to see if I could spot anything. If I am in the area again I will know where to look.

La Loge aux Sarrasins

Trip No.211  Entry No.4  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 9th Oct 2011. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Having gone to Vire for a Vide Grenier and country show, persuaded Trevor and Sara to visit this stone for another look. Followed the same path as last time, and this time, once at the corner of the garden, the dolmen was clear to be seen in the back garden. At Last!

Its a lovely looking little dolmen. I can only assume that last visit there was a shed in the way, preventing it being seen. To get a better view, went back to the cornfield, and walked along its edge and up along outside the garden. I noticed that a bit further to the west, behind the garage, there was a separate standing stone, a couple of metres tall.

La Loge aux Sarrasins

Trip No.202  Entry No.17  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Couldn't find on 17th Apr 2005

Log Text: Despite an accurate description of how to find this dolmen I could find nothing that looked like the picture from 1980. I did however find some large stones in about the right place a large single stone standing in the middle of the field and a couple of smaller ones with a small stone on top and a further large stone nearby. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong field but I think more likely is that this dolmen has recently been destroyed. A closer inspection of the photographs and I think that the large stone lying near the edge of the field might be the capstone from the dolmen upside down. A criminal shame that these things survive so long only to be destroyed in these modern times due to greed and laziness of a farmer.

Later note. Having seen the 1:25000 ign map of the area the dolmen is marked in a field further to the north than where I was looking beside the farm buildings which begs the question of what are the stones I did find.

Menhir dit Pierre de la Hoberie

Trip No.202  Entry No.15  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Couldn't find on 23rd Apr 2005

Log Text: This 3.1 metre tall menhir is said to be in the field downhill from the Ferme de Hoberie southwest of the village of Ussy. I could find nowhere to park and see no way through the farm without going through fields of cows so didn’t bother as I was in a rush to get back.

Bons Tassilly polissoirs

Trip No.202  Entry No.14  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Two polissoirs can be found beside the river which forms the gorge surrounding the Mont Joly promontory site. Follow signs to the Brèche de Diable park the car and then walk along the footpath which follows the river up this splendid rocky gorge. After several hundred metres the path diverges from the river and starts uphill to the left when you come to a fenced area. At this point go down towards the stream and the two polissoir stones can be found one on each side of the river.

The first one on the near side of the river is a block of hard stone sticking out of the hillside about 2 metres long and a metre wide. On the top surface of this stone are two large polished bowl areas and three grooves made by polishing the hard stone into tools. It is wonderful to sit down on one of the ends of this stone and imagine polishing away to make an axe or similar. In fact I was very tempted to just sit there and make one !

The polissoir on the far side of the stream has now been fenced off within private ground and cannot be reached although can clearly be seen.

Mont Joly

Trip No.212  Entry No.8  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 7th May 2012. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: What an intriguing place this is, and deserving of much more thorough exploration.

Mont Joly

Trip No.202  Entry No.13  Date Added: 26th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a promontory site surrounded on three sides by the steep gorge of the river Laizon and the eastern end has been defended by ramparts little of which can now be seen between the church and water tower. The site has been inhabited and defended since Paleolithic times and artefacts have been found from all times since this. It is said that although little ancient remains can be seen they are everywhere underfoot and every molehill will contain several flints and pottery sherds. This region was a major supplier of flint tools in the past and there is much to be found here.