Alderman's Barrow

Date Added: 18th Sep 2010
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: England (Somerset)
Visited: Yes on 9th Nov 2006

Log Text: None

Alex Tor Kerbed Cairn

Date Added: 28th Aug 2024
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 3rd Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: I still have plenty of time, so head over for a walk up to the top of Alex Tor to check out the magnificent cairn with its surrounding circle of slabs. I've not seen anything like this one before, it's marvellous. What a super surrounding kerb of large, leaning and contiguous stones. Is that some sort of chamber remnants within, or just a sort of slotting in the original tor structure? While climbing up onto the nearby tor top highest point, I realise that I have walked into a Bees nest in a gap in the tor rocks which prevented me from getting the best picture looking down on the cairn. Down then out for a look at Middle Moor Cross, before returning to the car and going to the Blisland Inn for crab sandwich and pint.

Alignement de Leintant

Trip No.203  Entry No.547  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Couldn't find on 23rd Jun 2005

Log Text: Row of fallen menhirs now incorporated into a bank at the edge of a field. I could find no trace of this alignment, supposed to contain one standing and three fallen menhirs, which was said to align on mid-summer sunrise. I found the farm, and went up and down the road several times, with no luck. Supposedly, the standing stone is nearly 4 metres tall and beside the road.....

Alignement de Lostmarc'h 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.495  Date Added: 27th May 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 19th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: What I could find of the Lostmarc'h alignements, on top of a headland overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with a fine surf beach below to the south, was a line of eight stones aligned at an angle of 060°/240° running across the headland. None of the stones are much more than a metre in height, and they are spaced about 6 metres apart from each other. There are several other stones laying about, perhaps the remains of other rows.

Further out on the headland are a lot more stones at N48.2150° W4.5561°. Its hard to make out any clear pattern, but its possibly the remains of at least 4 rows. Further stones can be seen dotted about all over the place. Perhaps this was once a big important centre.

Alignement des Bruyères

Trip No.202  Entry No.81  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Normandie:Eure (27))
Visited: Couldn't find on 3rd May 2005

Log Text: I carelessly missed this alignment of three menhirs by not looking carefully at all the information I had with me. I looked in the village for details but there were none I could find. It is supposedly in a field down near the hamlet of Les Bruyeres. So much for my thinking that some unknown being was helping me out today !

Alignement dit de La Petite Pierre

Trip No.203  Entry No.275  Date Added: 24th Apr 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 6th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Just outside the grounds of the chateau, along the little lane which runs to the south west from Avrillé, can be found this nice setting of three stones at the roadside in a little grassy clearing. Two 2.5 metre tall stones are positioned either side of a 5.5 metre high monster. All have been shaped, and the back face of all three stones is very flat. Thinking about this, it is probably the front face of each stone which is flat, and these face towards the east, although this is currently forested.

This is a really nice setting of stones, of which there were once many more similar examples in the region, and indeed perhaps lines up with the Bois de Fourgon Alignments in the grounds of the Chateau, and the Camp de César menhir in the centre of Avrillé which itself was once the mid stone of a three stone setting. While here, there was a donkey going off loudly nearby, and several cockerels having a lot to say about matters.

Alignement dit le Rocher

Trip No.203  Entry No.12  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 13th May 2005

Log Text: To the east of Saint Just village I spent no time looking for this menhir as it was by now pouring with rain, although I thought I saw something near a farmhouse as I drove past.

Alignements de Gueldro

Trip No.203  Entry No.446  Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 16th Jun 2005

Log Text: I had three attempts at finding the remnants of this once important set of eight parallel rows, but found nothing. The best I found was a bit of uncultivated land, completely covered in gorse and not possible to get to, which was in about the right place, so that was probably it. I found no signs or any other reference to it until afterwards, and the place I found was definately the right place.

Alignements de Ty-ar-C'huré

Trip No.203  Entry No.492  Date Added: 27th May 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Couldn't find on 19th Jun 2005

Log Text: I went for quite a walk to look for these, but in the end found nothing. They are at the top of a hill in a wood, protected by lots of gorse and bracken overgrown heathland, with no obvious pathway through.

Alignements du Moulin N

Trip No.203  Entry No.1  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 13th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: There are two long roughly parallel lines running east west with a third less well defined row to the southwest running in a north south direction. The first row reached is the northernmost and consists of at least 14 large white quartz blocks with a few grey stones in it as well with an alignment of 099°. One of the large stones towards the western end has been used at some later stage as a part of a burial chamber with at least two burial cists to be seen adjacent to it.

Just to the south of this row is another row, with an alignment of 111° but this time consisting of taller thinner stones of various types and colours, which get bigger in size towards the middle where the row runs over a cairn and then get smaller again. The stones start off about a metre high but the stones in the middle are up to 5 metres tall. These central stones alternate between white blocks and black blocks of stone with various other colours and shapes being mixed in as well.

I absolutely love this row. It is completely bonkers. So weird. The whole place is odd and not like anything else I have seen. Large white blocks and tall thin black stones. All mixed up and running across this ridge.

The third row I found consists of about 5 white quartz blocks to the west of the ends of the two main rows and running in a north south direction. I am not sure if this is the third row considered to be a part of these same alignments. All three rows appear to converge on a point to the northwest. They have started to clear the gorse away from these stones and I disturbed a large vividly coloured green lizard at one point here.

Alignements du Moulin S

Trip No.203  Entry No.2  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 13th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: There are two long roughly parallel lines running east west with a third less well defined row to the southwest running in a north south direction. The first row reached is the northernmost and consists of at least 14 large white quartz blocks with a few grey stones in it as well with an alignment of 099°. One of the large stones towards the western end has been used at some later stage as a part of a burial chamber with at least two burial cists to be seen adjacent to it.

Just to the south of this row is another row, with an alignment of 111° but this time consisting of taller thinner stones of various types and colours, which get bigger in size towards the middle where the row runs over a cairn and then get smaller again. The stones start off about a metre high but the stones in the middle are up to 5 metres tall. These central stones alternate between white blocks and black blocks of stone with various other colours and shapes being mixed in as well. I absolutely love this row. It is completely bonkers. So weird. The whole place is odd and not like anything else I have seen. Large white blocks and tall thin black stones. All mixed up and running across this ridge.

The third row I found consists of about 5 white quartz blocks to the west of the ends of the two main rows and running in a north south direction. I am not sure if this is the third row considered to be a part of these same alignments. All three rows appear to converge on a point to the northwest. They have started to clear the gorse away from these stones and I disturbed a large vividly coloured green lizard at one point here.

Alignements du Moulin W

Trip No.203  Entry No.3  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 13th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: There are two long roughly parallel lines running east west with a third less well defined row to the southwest running in a north south direction. The first row reached is the northernmost and consists of at least 14 large white quartz blocks with a few grey stones in it as well with an alignment of 099°. One of the large stones towards the western end has been used at some later stage as a part of a burial chamber with at least two burial cists to be seen adjacent to it.

Just to the south of this row is another row, with an alignment of 111° but this time consisting of taller thinner stones of various types and colours, which get bigger in size towards the middle where the row runs over a cairn and then get smaller again. The stones start off about a metre high but the stones in the middle are up to 5 metres tall. These central stones alternate between white blocks and black blocks of stone with various other colours and shapes being mixed in as well. I absolutely love this row. It is completely bonkers. So weird. The whole place is odd and not like anything else I have seen. Large white blocks and tall thin black stones. All mixed up and running across this ridge.

The third row I found consists of about 5 white quartz blocks to the west of the ends of the two main rows and running in a north south direction. I am not sure if this is the third row considered to be a part of these same alignments. All three rows appear to converge on a point to the northwest. They have started to clear the gorse away from these stones and I disturbed a large vividly coloured green lizard at one point here.

Allée Couverte d'Haye d'Ectot

Trip No.201  Entry No.20  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Nov 2004

Log Text: To the south of Moitiers d'Allonne is the community of La Haye D’Ectot, which supposedly has its own Allée Couverte, which is often confused with the above. Not marked on any maps I have, I called in at the village admin centre, at this time of day now closed. Outside this was the community map and footpath guide with places of interest marked on it, but I could find no reference to any megalithic monument.

Allée couverte de Blanc

Trip No.203  Entry No.99  Date Added: 6th Apr 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 21st May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: At last I have found one which is signposted and looked after. It’s a couple of kilometres south of Beaumont on the D.676 towards Villereal and is in a little signposted area with parking and lots and lots of orchids around everywhere. Its said to be one of the best preserved megalithic remains in the Perigord region and if that’s the case the rest aren’t much to look out for !

The original allée was supposedly 12 metres in length but its now cut short and I only counted 6 metres length of remains. The main chamber is in two parts facing on an alignment of 100° and consists of only two capstones sitting on 3 or 4 side slabs each side. Interestingly the western end is only about a metre wide and a metre high but the eastern end is much larger easily double the size of the closed west end. The south side is continuous while the northern side is stepped out

Allée Couverte de Câtillon

Trip No.201  Entry No.8  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Nov 2004

Log Text: The remains of a second Allée Couverte is said to exist to the southeast of Rocheville, a few hundred yards from the Allée Couverte de la Petite Roche, just outside the Bois de la Grosse Roche, near the hamlet of Catillon.

It is said to be 17metres in length, southwest to northeast aspect, with a side entrance, and also with a dolmen type structure at the northeastern end. I had a good look round all the lanes and trackways in the Catillon area, but could not find anything. The one person I found to ask knew nothing of it.

Is it possible that this monument has been destroyed ?

Allée Couverte de Coat Luzuen

Trip No.203  Entry No.457  Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 16th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Coat Luzuen allée couverte is situated in a field just to the west of the little road running north from the hamlet of Luzuen, and although signposted, it is quite difficult to find, with the last signpost being small and almost hidden, overgrown in a hedge opposite to a farm building.

When I visited this I was not totally sure what it was I was visiting, I could not be sure whether it is the remains of a strangely shaped allée couverte, or perhaps two dolmens, both quite large and opening to the west. Although I know of this as an allée couverte, it is marked on some maps as two dolmens, and as far as I can ascertain from more research, it was a single large allée couverte which has had a section removed from its centre.

The western part of the two sections has a large chamber covered by a massive single capstone 7 metres long by 3 metres wide, and it is easy to stand up inside. The eastern part, which was possibly once joined as the two side walls line up, is not so large, and is only open to the west, in the direction of its neighbour, and has only two sidestones and an endstone, the other side having collapsed.

Allée Couverte de Dampsmesnil

Trip No.202  Entry No.94  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Eure (27))
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: It’s easy enough to find the pathway that leads into the woods to this its signed allée couverte from several places from several miles around. However the tiny roads with cropped fields make it almost impossible to park anywhere (certainly a camper van) so it was a long walk. From the lane where the signposted track ascends into the woods its about a half kilometre walk following the main trackway up and keeping left. There is another little sign at a junction of woodland tracks where you turn left and about a further 100 metres along is this nice trench grave along with a little notice board which states that its over 4000 years old and gives descriptions of the various features. When you get there it’s a bit of a corker although falling into disrepair and in need of some affection.

The main chamber is about 10 metres long cut 2 metres deep into the hillside on an orientation of 218° looking down into the valley. There are three massive capstones each more than 3 metres long still in place and the remains of 2 more on this 2 metre wide Allée. The walls consist of large upright slabs with drystone walling between them and the whole thing ends with a massive block at the north-eastern end.

What makes this place a bit special are two features not often found elsewhere. The most obvious is the remains of the lower half of the entrance stone positioned across the chamber with it’s finely cut circular porthole entrance. The top half of the stone is missing but there is enough left to see the fine work which went into creating this entrance. It is very circular with a diameter of about 50 cm made using not just a single cut through the thick stone but a sort of double circular stepped and lipped edge.

The other special feature of this grave is found on the stone just outside the main chamber on the left hand side in front of the porthole stone and with half a capstone sat on it. On this stone has been carved the likeness of a lady (or goddess) and her two breasts can clearly be made out (although in some distant time her left one has been largely hammered away) above which are the remains of four arcs representing necklaces. I thought I could also make out some of her outline and a representation of a belt or other such item. Much of this stone is very worn and indeed I guess its only survived at all due to the presence of the half capstone and I think it said on the notice board that her face could be made out in the past. I wonder who it was.

A few other stones lie scattered about including what was probably one of the capstones which has been removed and lies partway down a steep slope several yards in front of the grave behind the notice board.

After visiting this monument I saw another one marked nearby on the map so set off to look for that. Unfortunately there was a little old narrow bridge between the two places and although my van fitted on to the bridge easily enough I had a lot of trouble getting off the other side and there was no way I was going to be able to reverse back off. After about 6 or 7 attempts to get between the protective bollards in the roadside presumably put there to protect the much wider bridge with a few scrapes down the side of my van and a broken sidelight I had discovered that the gap between the bollards was only an inch wider than the width of my van. I was obviously getting too confident about driving it around all these narrow places and will have to take more care in future.

Allée Couverte de Kérandrège

Trip No.203  Entry No.453  Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 16th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In a field to the left of the D116 road to the south of Moelan-sur-Mer on the way to Brigneau can be found this lovely allée couverte with an associated menhir just outside its entrance. The menhir is about 3 metres high, 2 metres wide and has been nicely shaped.

The allée couverte is about 9 metres in length and faces to the east on an alignment of 100°. There are three complete and one broken (at the back) capstones sitting on top of the inwards leaning side stones, which are much wider at the base than the capstone width. Unfortunately the back end is all broken and has a tree growing in it. The front end has a narrowed down entrance.

There is a "hooting Hubert" bouy somewhere out to sea, continually hooting away !

Allée Couverte de Kergoustance

Trip No.203  Entry No.455  Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 16th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice allée couverte which can be found in a field just to the right of the D.24 road as you head southwest out of Moelan-sur-Mer just at the limits of the village. The chamber is more than 15 metres in length, and has all seven capstones still in place, although a couple of them are broken. It is aligned on about 055°, but it is difficult to be precise because of the trees growing within it preventing me getting a good sightline for my compass. The stones consist of a nice pink granite, and is of the leaning side stone type construction. At the back end, the last section is blocked off with a crosswise slab.

Allée Couverte de la Chaume

Trip No.204  Entry No.209  Date Added: 27th Aug 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bourgogne:Côte-d'Or (21))
Visited: Couldn't find on 3rd Aug 2005

Log Text: There are supposedly several dolmens and an allee couverte in the Rochepot community, but not marked on my maps, I doubt I will find any of the others, so soon decided to give up now on looking for more.