Contributory members are able to log private notes and comments about each site
Sites TheCaptain has logged. View this log as a table or view the most recent logs from everyone
Dolmen dit Pierre-Soupèze
Trip No.205 Entry No.18 Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2
Dolmen dit Pierre-Soupèze submitted by thecaptain on 11th Feb 2006. To the southeast of Montmorillon, this dolmen is within a ploughed field, which is very well fenced to keep people out.
From the edge of the farm lane you can see a few stones under some bushes, with a large capstone at an angle on top of a couple of supports.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: To the southeast of Montmorillon, this dolmen is within a ploughed field, which is very well fenced to keep people out. From the edge of the farm lane you can see a few stones under some bushes, with a large capstone at an angle on top of a couple of supports. From certain angles daylight can be seen beneath it. It is possible that there are two dolmen capstones here, or else there are many other large stones dumped here for field clearance.
Marchain Dolmen
Trip No.205 Entry No.20 Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2
Marchain dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 11th Feb 2006. To the west of the village of Lathus-Saint-Rémy, in the fields near to the hamlet of Marchain, can be found this dolmen. It can be seen across the fields by the crossroads to the south of the hamlet, but I could find no obvious way to get to the dolmen, all the fields being fenced off.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: To the west of the village of Lathus-Saint-Rémy, in the fields near to the hamlet of Marchain, can be found this dolmen. It can be seen across the fields by the crossroads to the south of the hamlet, but I could find no obvious way to get to the dolmen, all the fields being fenced off. It looks to be a fairly simple little dolmen, with a capstone set on top of a few support stones.
Dolmen de la Bastière 2
Trip No.205 Entry No.17 Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Dolmen de la Bastière 2 submitted by thecaptain on 10th Feb 2006. the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds.
Without any more details, I find it hard to know just what is the historical monument dolmen. Perhaps its none of these mounds I saw, and is hiding in a hedge or the very thick woodland nearby.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Marked on my ign 1:100,000 map is a dolmen in the field to the south of the road between Lussac and Montmorillon. I had a good look around, but could find no obvious dolmen to which it referred. However the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds, some of which have since been used to pile up other stones for field clearance purposes, some of which have been ploughed out. Without any more details, I find it hard to know just what is the historical monument dolmen. Perhaps its none of these mounds I saw, and is hiding in a hedge or the very thick woodland nearby.
On seeing a more detailed map later in the day, the dolmen is probably a bit further from the road, into the woodland at the far side of the field, to where I had walked. Damn.
Dolmen de la Bastière 1
Trip No.205 Entry No.16 Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Dolmen de la Bastière 1 submitted by thecaptain on 10th Feb 2006. There is a registered historic monument dolmen somewhere to the south of the road between Lussac and Montmorillon. I had a good look around, but could find no obvious dolmen.
However the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Marked on my ign 1:100,000 map is a dolmen in the field to the south of the road between Lussac and Montmorillon. I had a good look around, but could find no obvious dolmen to which it referred. However the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds, some of which have since been used to pile up other stones for field clearance purposes, some of which have been ploughed out.
Without any more details, I find it hard to know just what is the historical monument dolmen. Perhaps its none of these mounds I saw, and is hiding in a hedge or the very thick woodland nearby. On seeing a more detailed map later in the day, the dolmen is probably a bit further from the road, into the woodland at the far side of the field, to where I had walked. Damn.
Dolmen de Loubressac
Trip No.205 Entry No.15 Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Dolmen de Loubressac submitted by thecaptain on 19th Feb 2006. At the hamlet of Loubressac, the little road curves around the remains of this dolmen.
The capstone, which once would have measured 5 metres by 4 metres, has now broken and collapsed into the chamber.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Beside the river Goberté to the west of Lussac-les-Chateaux, at the hamlet of Loubressac, the little road curves around the remains of this dolmen. It is now sitting right beside the road at the edge of a pond. The capstone, which once would have measured 5 metres by 4 metres, has now broken and collapsed into the chamber. About 8 or 10 support stones remain, many of which have fallen. The entrance is to the east. Most of the stones are of the local white limestone, with holes and depressions everywhere, but the large support stone at the back of the chamber is a dark granite rock.
Unfortunately there is a telephone inspection cover right beside the dolmen which detracts. While here there was a helicopter flying very low overhead, perhaps checking on the overhead power lines.
Verrières Dolmen
Trip No.205 Entry No.13 Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 30th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Verrières dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 19th Feb 2006. Just outside the village of Verrières, to the south by the road to Lussac-les-Chateaux, are the remains of this dolmen, which can be found round the back of some houses at the top of the valley.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Just outside the village of Verrières, to the south by the road to Lussac-les-Chateaux, are the remains of this dolmen, which can be found round the back of some houses at the top of the valley. Its not much more than a large slab of rock sitting on the ground these days, which is the capstone which measures 4 metres by 3 metres, with a few bits of crumbled rock underneath. There are no signs of any obvious support stones.
When I got back to my van after visiting this, the antitheft electronics would not turn off, and so nothing would start. I checked to see if anything obvious was loose, but could find nothing. I checked the other keys and that didn't help. I asked a passing man in a pickup truck if he could help, and he got a bloke from a garage out to help me. He had a look, but couldn't really do anything till tomorrow, when he could get the van to the garage with the necessary electronics gear. We pushed the van down into a little side lane where I could stay overnight, and he promised that he or someone else from the garage who could speak some English would be back in the morning about 8:30. This is just what I always dreaded would happen.
Andillé Dolmen
Trip No.204 Entry No.152 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 20th Jul 2005. My rating: Access 4
Andillé dolmen submitted by TheCaptain on 3rd Dec 2007. About 50 metres to the south of the road to the east of Andillé (Route de Dolmen), in a field of sweetcorn, I could just see the top of this dolmen.
There was no obvious way of getting to it to have a proper look.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: About 50 metres to the south of the road (Route de Dolmen), in a field of sweetcorn, I could just see the top of this dolmen. There was no obvious way of getting to it to have a proper look, but it looks to be the remains of a little simple dolmen.
Pouzac Dolmen
Trip No.204 Entry No.153 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Couldn't find on 20th Jul 2005
Pouzac dolmen submitted by TheCaptain on 3rd Dec 2007. Even having the detailed map of the area, finding this dolmen was not easy.
It is to be found in the side of the hedge, and is getting rather overgrown.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: I could find absolutely no sign of this. I should have the few minutes extra in the shop to have a look at or buy the 1:25000 map, rather than think I could go without.
Dolmen de Laverré
Trip No.204 Entry No.150 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Couldn't find on 20th Jul 2005
Dolmen de Laverré submitted by TheCaptain on 4th Dec 2007. This dolmen is a kilometre or so to the south of the village of Andillé, and can be found in the round wooded area behind the lone house to the northwest of the road.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Most of the fields around here have a bunch of bushes in the middle of them. I went over to two, but they both looked just like field clearance piles. There wasn't anywhere to properly park, nor to turn round and go back to where I think the dolmen must be, so I missed this one. I must try harder.
Vaintray menhir
Trip No.204 Entry No.151 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Couldn't find on 20th Jul 2005
Vaintray menhir submitted by thecaptain on 8th Dec 2007. Just to the east of the hamlet of Vaintray, and about 100 metres south down a little cross track from the road to Aslonnes, can be found this little menhir, stood in a little grassy clearing amongst bushes in a region left clear of the fields.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Lots of new houses have been built in the area around this menhir, and I could find nowhere to get behind them to have a look. It is all very busy, narrow roads around here.
Arlait Dolmens
Trip No.204 Entry No.158 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4
Arlait dolmens submitted by TheCaptain on 6th Dec 2007. The dolmen is then about 80 metres to the north down a wide open trackway, in a little round woodland area.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Being more careful this time, and not in so much of a rush, I was able to find this dolmen. Follow the signs to the north of the village of Chateau Larcher for about a kilometre, and just before the road gets to the top of the hill, stop. There is a little dirt track which crosses the road, and if you look carefully, has a little painted sign to dolmen, to the west (left) of the road. Follow this track for about 800 metres, alongside a large wire fence most of the way, and the dolmen is then about 80 metres to the north (right) down a wide open trackway. The dolmen is a fairly large one, with a rectangular chamber about 4 metres by 3.5 metres, with an entranceway facing to the southeast.
The rock is very holey limestone, and much of it has cracked and crumbled, and the capstone has all fallen in. In fact it looks to have broken very recently, as a couple of the breaks are very fresh. The dolmen is still within the remains of a fair sized mound of loose rock, probably 25 to 30 metres in diameter, covered in the inevitable oak woodland. There are several other slabs of rock laying about, and I wondered if there was a second chamber within the mound. While I was sat here, there were a couple of deer not far away, looking at me.
Villaigue Dolmen 1
Trip No.204 Entry No.159 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Villaigue Dolmen 1 submitted by thecaptain on 14th Nov 2008. In the community of St-Martin-l'Ars are the remains of two dolmens.
Well, I just HAD to visit these, didn't I ! One of the main objectives of my 6 month trip after I had found them referred to !
Villaigue Dolmen 1
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Well, I just HAD to come here, to the village of St Martin l'Ars, didn't I. All those years ago, when I started researching and cataloging French megalithic sites, I found two dolmens recorded in the community of St Martin l'Ars, possibly via the Merimee online database. Some time later, I had decided to quit work and go on a 6 month odyssey around France looking for old stones - in particular trying to find many of the little know ones. So, it became one of the main objectives of my trip to hunt these two down, as I have been called an Ars on more than one occasion, particularly with respect to going on this expedition, so in a way these were my dolmens !
So, it happened that on 21st July 2005, I got to the village of St Martin l'Ars, which is 40 to 50 kilometres southeast of Poitiers. I have to admit that I had no idea where to find the dolmens, but the French villages often have maps of the locality at their Mairie, sometimes with items of historical interest marked on them. Unfortunately, that was not the case here. It should also be said, that in most of France, their megalithic heritage is not known, and the public usually have no idea about such matters, so asking people is more often than not met with blank looks.
St Martin l'Ars is a nice little village, with a castle and a leisure park. After initially not finding any indication of where the dolmens were, I went and had a picnic lunch beside the lake in the leisure park, where there is a nice beach for swimming, and battery powered galleons which can be rented out ! Within the leisure park I found a map with some local walks marked on it, and to my great joy there was a route marked which passed by the dolmens. So after my lunch and an ice cream on this very hot day, I was able to have a go to try to find them.
A couple of kilometres north of the village, I parked between the hamlets of Vilaigre and Bars, just to the east of the little river, then was able to walk down the obvious track to the south for a couple of hundred metres. The remains of the two dolmens were to be found under the bushes in the field on the left. Both dolmens were thoroughly overgrown, and had been ploughed very close to, and I have to say that both were not much more than a capstone sitting on top of a jumble of other stones. It was impossible to make out any more details of what was once here. I have to say, although there are only two dolmens recorded in the French monuments record, it wouldn't surprise me at all if there were ruined remains of several others hereabouts. There are dotted about other clumps of bushes which might harbour ancient stones, and there are many hedgerows which could hide the odd bit of dolmen. As with much of France, there is probably a lot here to find - it just needs somebody with an interest, and a lot of time on their hands.
The remains of the first dolmen is found under the bushes in the field on the left. Dolmen A has been ploughed very close to, and I have to say that it is not much more than a capstone about 4 m by 2 m sitting on top of a jumble of other stones, aligned to the northeast.
Villaigue Dolmen 2
Trip No.204 Entry No.160 Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Villaigue Dolmen 2 submitted by thecaptain on 14th Nov 2008. Remnants of a dolmen in the community of St-Martin-l'Ars.
It is thickly overgrown, the remnants of the capstone sits in the bushes at an angle, partly on the ground.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Well, I just HAD to come here, to the village of St Martin l'Ars, didn't I. All those years ago, when I started researching and cataloging French megalithic sites, I found two dolmens recorded in the community of St Martin l'Ars, possibly via the Merimee online database. Some time later, I had decided to quit work and go on a 6 month odyssey around France looking for old stones - in particular trying to find many of the little know ones. So, it became one of the main objectives of my trip to hunt these two down, as I have been called an Ars on more than one occasion, particularly with respect to going on this expedition, so in a way these were my dolmens !
So, it happened that on 21st July 2005, I got to the village of St Martin l'Ars, which is 40 to 50 kilometres southeast of Poitiers. I have to admit that I had no idea where to find the dolmens, but the French villages often have maps of the locality at their Mairie, sometimes with items of historical interest marked on them. Unfortunately, that was not the case here. It should also be said, that in most of France, their megalithic heritage is not known, and the public usually have no idea about such matters, so asking people is more often than not met with blank looks.
St Martin l'Ars is a nice little village, with a castle and a leisure park. After initially not finding any indication of where the dolmens were, I went and had a picnic lunch beside the lake in the leisure park, where there is a nice beach for swimming, and battery powered galleons which can be rented out ! Within the leisure park I found a map with some local walks marked on it, and to my great joy there was a route marked which passed by the dolmens. So after my lunch and an ice cream on this very hot day, I was able to have a go to try to find them.
A couple of kilometres north of the village, I parked between the hamlets of Vilaigre and Bars, just to the east of the little river, then was able to walk down the obvious track to the south for a couple of hundred metres. The remains of the two dolmens were to be found under the bushes in the field on the left. Both dolmens were thoroughly overgrown, and had been ploughed very close to, and I have to say that both were not much more than a capstone sitting on top of a jumble of other stones. It was impossible to make out any more details of what was once here. I have to say, although there are only two dolmens recorded in the French monuments record, it wouldn't surprise me at all if there were ruined remains of several others hereabouts. There are dotted about other clumps of bushes which might harbour ancient stones, and there are many hedgerows which could hide the odd bit of dolmen. As with much of France, there is probably a lot here to find - it just needs somebody with an interest, and a lot of time on their hands.
The remains of the dolmens are found under the bushes in the field on the left. Dolmen B is about 50 metres to the east of its neighbour, and is in an even worse state. It too has been ploughed very close to, and is more thickly overgrown. Other than a pile of stones, the remnants of the capstone sits in the bushes at an angle, partly on the ground. Again, it was impossible to make out any more details of what was once here.
Tumulus de Chassigny
Trip No.204 Entry No.115 Date Added: 4th Aug 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s)
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 18th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
Tumulus de Chassigny submitted by thecaptain on 6th Sep 2009. This is a blinking great big mound, it must be 50 metres in diameter and 10 metres high.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: This is a blinking great big mound, it must be 50 metres in diameter and 10 metres high. It looks to have been well dug into and messed about with, but there is nothing obvious to see except for the large mound. I wonder what is underneath.
La Pierre-Folle allée couverte
Trip No.204 Entry No.104 Date Added: 3rd Aug 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Couldn't find on 17th Jul 2005
La Pierre-Folle allée couverte submitted by Rubis on 21st Sep 2010. Side: opening gate.
The lady that was there for the Journées du Patrimoine said that is was longer that the one of Bagneux but Bagneux is upper!
Site in Poitou:Vienne (86) France
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: To the north of Bournand, but in a very vaguely marked place on my map, is marked the Pierre Folle allée couverte. In the village of Bournand, there is a sign pointing to the Pierre Folle, but as is often the case, there are no more signs later, and try as I might, without a detailed map I could not find this. After my failed visit, I found out that it is an 18 metre long allée couvert, on inaccessible private land within a Renaissance Lodge. It is said to be a superb megalithic monument.
La Pierre Crapaud
Trip No.204 Entry No.107 Date Added: 3rd Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 17th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4
La Pierre Crapaud submitted by TheCaptain on 22nd Sep 2010. What I thought was Bernazay dolmen was perhaps La Pierre Crapaud - a much better name!
Here in July 2005 surrounded by lovely sunflowers.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: This dolmen can be found a few hundred metres down a track to the south west of the village of Trois-Moutiers, where it resides just inside a field which was full of sunflowers when I visited, which meant that i could not get right to the dolmen. What I could see is a large capstone sat on top of some sort of support stones at one end, and the ground at the other.
Dolmen de Champs Lochet
Trip No.204 Entry No.121 Date Added: 14th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 18th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3
Dolmen de Champs Lochet submitted by TheCaptain on 2nd Oct 2010. This dolmen can be found about a kilometre walk along a farm track to the east of the Chantebrault dolmens.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: This dolmen can be found about a kilometre walk along a farm track to the east of the Chantebrault dolmens, and then into a field by a wooded copse. It is fairly ruinous, just a large capstone balanced at a serious angle between the ground and one side support stone. It's about 4 metres square, and up to 2 metres from the ground. There are many more fallen stones here, but I cannot really make anything more out. The plough and crops come mighty close, and I suspect that they have wrecked much of what was here.
Pierre-Levée (Chiroux)
Trip No.204 Entry No.162 Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4
Pierre-Levée (Chiroux) submitted by theCaptain on 21st Jul 2011. Atop a little hill overlooking a pond can be found this fine dolmen, 150 metres from the road and signposted with a little parking area.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: Atop a little hill overlooking a pond can be found this fine dolmen, 150 metres from the road and signposted with a little parking area. It's chamber is a sort of Vee shape, about 5 metres long and up to 3 metres wide, with its entrance to the east, on a bearing of about 100°. The single large capstone sits about 1.5 metres high on top of two sideslabs each side, and with a single large backstone. There are many other boulders around on the ground nearby, probably natural rocks fallen from the hilltop.
Dolmen dit la Pierre-de-Verre
Trip No.204 Entry No.118 Date Added: 13th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 18th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4
Dolmen dit la Pierre-de-Verre submitted by theCaptain on 14th Aug 2012. Whatever this dolmen was, it has been altered about with quite a bit, including fairly recently being dug into on the west side to be made into a goat house.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: In the back garden of a house to the north west of the St Laon village centre, and not far from a busy road, can be found the remains of this. Whatever this dolmen was, it has been altered about with quite a bit, including fairly recently being dug into on the west side to be made into a goat house. What there is looks a bit like an allée couverte 6 metres long by 2 metres wide, but probably was an Angevine dolmen. There is a nice donkey over the road wanting a fuss.
Dolmen de la Fontaine au Son 1
Trip No.204 Entry No.109 Date Added: 3rd Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 17th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Dolmen de la Fontaine au Son 1 submitted by TheCaptain on 26th Jul 2013. The western Fontaines de Son dolmen is the bigger of the two, and in a bit better condition.
It seems to have a north south oriented chamber, with two capstones surviving, covering the southern part of the 8 metre long chamber. The northern end has collapsed. It is difficult to tell where the entrance would have been.
(View photo, vote or add a comment)
Log Text: There are two dolmens here, about 30 metres apart, near to the Fontaines de Son water treatment plant. The eastern dolmen is now fenced off, partly because of the water works, but probably also because it looks to be in a dangerous state, It is an Angevin dolmen with a 4m by 2.5 m chamber underneath a single capstone and its entrance to the east. Most of this is however now collapsed.