Menhir du Boivre

Trip No.203  Entry No.25  Date Added: 1st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Couldn't find on 14th May 2005

Log Text: This menhir is supposed to be 3.8 metes tall and nicely shaped but I could not find it. I took both the high road (a gravel track ) and the low road through the farmyard of the same name looking but I didn’t even catch a glimpse of it.

Moulin du Motte

Trip No.203  Entry No.27  Date Added: 1st Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3

Log Text: Nearby to the east of the tumulus des Mousseaux are the remains of two more burial mounds of which remains can be seen in various gardens in the vicinity. The large tumulus du Moulin du Motte is these days hardly visible behind a large garden wall and some new holiday homes but a bit further to the west down the lane some large stones can be clearly seen in a garden. These are the remains of the Trois Squelettes tombs three chambers which were once covered by a single large mound.

Dolmen dit La Salle des Fées

Trip No.203  Entry No.31  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This was not at all like I was expecting to find so either the picture I had previously seen of this is of the wrong place or else this dolmen has had a nasty accident which has increased the remains !

I have to say it looks like a jumble of large rock slabs around a few trees in the middle of a field but it is possible to determine some side slabs and capstones of a long collapsed chamber. It is found just inside a field to the northwest of the D.61 road which goes southeast from Saint Pazanne after a couple of kilometres just before the road crosses the river at Port Faissant. It is signposted and on the ign map.

Celles-sur-Belle menhirs

Trip No.203  Entry No.34  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: After a fairly long struggle to find these which are marked on my ign map I eventually found a sign pointing through the woods to menhirs 180 metres but not very close to the position on the map. The best I found was two big lumps of rock on a hillside which looked very much like they may be natural rocks to me. Its possible there is a third nearby. I could not get a gps fix in the dense woodland.

Pierres Folles du Follet

Trip No.203  Entry No.32  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: The Pierres Folle de Follet are two large menhirs both about 3.5 metres tall positioned one each side of a little lane like giant gateposts at the hamlet of the same name just to the south of the D19 a couple of kilometres south of the village of Rosnay.

There is a legend associated with them, which is printed on a little sign nearby, but which I cannot translate adequately. Something about Gargantua playing quoits here, and destroying houses and the flocks, and causing terror in the region. One day, he crushed a dozen sheep while playing near Rosnay, and the sheepdogs got fed up, and threw two quoits back at him, which stuck in the ground here forming the Pierres Folles.

Magnez Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.36  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Walk up a little track behind the farmhouse to the south of the road as it passes through the hamlet of Magnez (Magné) for a couple of hundred metres and you will see a large stone to the right of the trackway. This is the capstone to the dolmen which is full of holes with plants and flowers growing in them. It rests on a few supports but is collapsed on the side nearest the trackway. It’s a lovely rockery but not much of a dolmen.

Dolmen de la Pierre-Pèze

Trip No.203  Entry No.35  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: After a long wet day of driving and getting frustrated by a lack of nice things to see and getting lost in a couple of big towns (Niort Fontenay) I needed this. On the D948 road just to the west of the railway station to the east of Limilonges (where there is lots of space to park) is a large sign to the dolmen which can be found a few hundred metres walk along the woodland path.

It consists of a massive vegetation covered triangular shaped capstone 6 metres in length up to 3 metres in width and a metre thick doing an incredible balancing act held up high on only three supports although there are in total about ten side slabs for the original chamber most of which do not reach the capstone. The chamber would have been oval in shape six metres long and probably about 4 metres in width. All of the stones are of a kind of limestone which shows I am moving into a different kind of region.

The dolmen is positioned in a lovely woodland glade and despite the noise of the busy road and the TGV trains rushing (quietly) by the place is full of birdsong and a nice place to spend some time.

Dolmen de La Pierre Blanche à Bessé 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.37  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 15th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: A couple of kilometres southwest of the village of Charmé along the D736 the dolmen is signposted along a trackway from the road. Its about half a mile walk to a little wood and the dolmen is within the field of crops adjacent. A large oval shaped capstone almost 2 metres thick sits on several small supports which can just be seen under the capstone amongst the crops. Theres a little noticeboard at the edge of the field which tells about the dolmen and the finds discovered here and as is often the case there is a legend associated to the stones.

Tusson tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.38  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 15th May 2005

Log Text: There are four tumulus here to the east of the village of Tusson which lie in a line along the top of a ridge. One of the central pair is enormous and deserves further exploration. The Pierre Blanche and Magnez dolmens are on the same line to the north.

La Frise Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.33  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th May 2005

Log Text: I could see no signs of this in the flat farmland, nor any signs or other indications

La Justice tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.41  Date Added: 2nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 15th May 2005

Log Text: There are four tumulus here to the east of the village of Tusson which lie in a line along the top of a ridge. One of the central pair is enormous and deserves further exploration. The Pierre Blanche and Magnez dolmens are on the same line to the north.

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.

Tumulus de la Boixe B

Trip No.203  Entry No.42  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 16th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: This wonderful tumulus can be found signposted just to the west of the D.116 as it runs through the Forêt-de-Boixe. Said to be one of about 15 such tombs here in the 19th century, but now mostly destroyed.

It’s a lovely tomb, which has been restored, with a chamber still contained fully within its cairn, which must be between 25 and 30 metres in diameter, with two walled and stepped rings around it. A large capstone is still visible from the top which covers the chamber. The entrance passage is slightly curved, and about 8 metres in length.

It looks to me as though many of the stones are new, and indeed some seem to be concrete slabs. There is a side chamber on the right as you go in, which has nicely carved entrance stones giving a fine rounded doorway, with a finely carved edging. Its all very dark inside and you need to take a torch, although the birds like it as it is for nesting inside. The chamber is rectangular, about 3 metres by 1.5 metres. The passageway into the main chamber is exceptionally well made, with most of the stones being very squared, which turns out to be a feature of many of the dolmens around here. The main chamber, more than 8 metres into the tumulus, is another rectangular structure formed with well fitting and squared slabs, and is about 5 metres by 3 metres, wit slab floorstones also.

At the opposite corner of this chamber to where the entrance is, is found another entranceway into a further chamber, this one being about 2 metres square, again made with fantastically fitted stone slabs. The entranceway is carved from two well fitted slabs, and has two grooves carved around it, rather like moulding round a more modern doorway. Above and to the right of this doorway, in the main chamber is a very visible axe carved onto the wall slabs.

Since visiting this tomb, I have found that there are said to be carvings of crooks and axes on one or two of the stones. The monument is in a lovely flower filled clearing in the forest, with the air filled with birdsong, a cuckoo being particularly prominent this morning. It has a noticeboard which states that it is dated to between 4500 and 3700 BC, and that the corridor side stones are original. I went back to my van to get a torch and returned.

Dolmen dit la Pierre du Sacrifice (Boixe)

Trip No.203  Entry No.43  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 4 Access 4

Log Text: The remains of this monument can be found about 100 metres walk into the Forêt-de-Boixe from the parking place near the Tumulus de la Boixe, and signposted. These days it is basically just a capstone of a destroyed tumulus, once similar to Boixe, and is about 4 metres in length, 2 metres wide and a metre thick. It has some very straight channels in the top, which are so straight and even that they must have been carved, rather than randomly shaped rain channels, and this is what gives the stone its name (from the 18th century).

I could see no signs of any supports, although there is a lotof loose stone about. Not too long ago, this was supposedly the largest tumulus of the many in this region, 45 metres in diameter, and 4 metres high, but was destroyed in the 19th century in order to build the road. One of the support stones to the chamber was recorded to have had a carved crook on it. An older legend surrounding the tomb concerns the "little people" who used to live in it, who were so strong that they could carry the 15 tonne blocks with their bare hands.

Folatière tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.44  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 16th May 2005

Log Text: This tumulus is obvious it can be seen from miles around up on top of a hill all covered in woodland.I parked and walked up “Rue de Tumulus” but could find no way of closer inspection as its all fenced off private land. The tumulus is really massive though and dwarfs the nearby farmhouse. Shame as its marked on my ign map so must have something worth seeing.

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.

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.

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.

La Grande Motte

Trip No.203  Entry No.52  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 16th May 2005

Log Text: On the hill high above Fontenille can be seen another tree covered mound. This one was really tempting to go and walk to but it was a long way from anywhere I could drive to so I managed to keep away. Pity I didn’t get a good photograph as from certain angles its most impressive looking.

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 ?