La Table des Marchands

Trip No.203  Entry No.351  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Much has been written about this place by others already, and I wont spend valuable daylight by sitting and writing anymore for myself, except to say that it is all very different to what it was in 1987, and that the current thinking is that the Grand Menhir was once just one of 19 stood up in a row, and was toppled deliberately after only a couple of hundred years. The other menhirs were broken and used for other purposes.

Mane Lud Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.352  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is just a few hundred metres away from the famed sites at the Grande Menhir Brise, but it is not visited by many people, yet I think it is a better site than the Table des Marchands.

Still within its large long cairn of stones, it doesn’t look much from the outside, just a large broken capstone at the western end of the long mound. But a closer inspection shows there to be a passage down past a little chapel which has been built onto the end of it, which allows access into a large chamber.

The chamber is about 4 metres by 3 metres, and high enough to stand up in, and has many decorated stones, with a carved floor stone with an axe or plough in raised relief. The passageway to the chamber is about 10 metres in length, with about 5 metres at the chamber end being still covered, while the first 5 metres are open and much altered by the building of the chapel.

Mane-Rethuel Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.353  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I thought I had seen some pretty impressive megalithic constructions before, but the Locmariaquer ones are making me think again. This is a massively long passage grave, built in at least two different ages. The first stage is a 3 metre by 2 metre oval chamber at the end of a 10 metre passage opening at a bearing of 108°. At least one large ex menhir is used in the capstones of this passage.

Then at a later stage, a second 4 m by 3 m oval chamber was added at the back end, using part of a massive broken menhir, 11 metres in length, from near the Grande Menhir Brise as its capstone. This stone has a 6 metre long carving on its underside which gives evidence of its previous usage. Inside the first chamber are carvingss of axes, ploughs etc, and a stele, probably also moved here from elsewhere. Whoever built this monument must have employed a right bunch of cowboy builders, although their construction has stood the ravages of time well.

Mané-er-Hroëck tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.354  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Blimey, whatever next ? This is a large mound of stones, just to the south of the village of Locmariaquer. A path leads up between the houses to the top of the tumulus, of which the shape and size are indeterminate due to the houses all around it. Once on top of the tumulus, a set of relatively modern steps cut downwards into the heart of the mound through the stones. Down it goes, round a corner, and then, 10 metres in and 5 metres down, there is an entrance into a chamber.

It is a simple chamber, about 5 metres by 3 metres, but not quite high enough to stand up straight in. The walls are largely drystone, with a couple of large capstones forming the roof. I could not make out if there were any carvings, but it was dark and my lamp was fairly feeble. This is another fantastic find, and again passed by and missed by the masses. Take a good torch.

Kerpenhir Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.355  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: About 3.5 metres tall, this menhir can be seen in the far hedge of a field, overlooking the entrance to the gulf of Morbihan, with all its boats racing in and out. What a superb position this would be if the hedge were not there ! The modern, sculpted menhir at Bilgroix stands right opposite on the eastern entrance to the gulf.

Pierres Plates (Locmariaquer)

Trip No.203  Entry No.356  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This famous angled passage grave with its many sculpted stones is right at the end of the Locmariaquer peninsular overlooking the sea, and still mostly within a small covering mound. The chamber turns about 45 degrees to the left after about 6 metres, with a side chamber bisecting the angle. From this corner, there is about another 10 metres of passage to the final chamber, seperated from the widening passage by a nicely carved stone. The carvings on the passageway side supports get more exotic the further you get into the monument.

Although the entire passageway is covered, I think most of the stones used are modern replacements. Take a good torch with you to see the details of all the carved stones. Unfortunately, my camera started misbehaving here, and the flash would not work properly, and so I couldn't get any decent pictures from within the tomb. However, this place is thoroughly documented in many other places.

Kerlud Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.357  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a simple chambered dolmen which has been incorporated into the end of a wall behind a farm in the hamlet of Kerlud. The single large capstone sits on top of several support stones around a 3.5 by 2.5 metre chamber, with dry stone walling filling the gaps between the slabs. The entrance is to the east, and there are traces of a mound.

Pointe Er Hourél Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.358  Date Added: 10th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: This dolmen is in just about the best position of any I have been to, out near the end of Er Hourel point in a little pinewood. Access is either by a fair walk from the nearest car park for Plage St Pierre, or the way I did it was by an excellent off road bike route from Locmariaquer, which took me along country lanes, across tidal weirs, up a creek, round some gardens and a few places where I had to carry the bike before reaching the last kilometre along the sands. This route is not to be attempted at high tide !

When I was here, the sun was setting in the west over Carnac and the Arzon peninsular was all lit up in the golden sky to the east, Quiberon and the islands can be seen across the sea speckled with sailing boats, while the wind rushes through the pines. Absolutely smashing. Pity that I have to make my way back soon.

The dolmen isn't much, a few support stones standing round a fallen capstone of what would have been a 2 metre wide chamber. How long it would have been is anybodies guess, it could be just 2 metres, or it could be like the nearby Pierres Plates and be up to 20 metres long. The floor of the chamber is paved.

Kervéresse Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.359  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Jun 2005

Log Text: I couldn’t be sure that I found this dolmen, what I did see was a bit of a mound covered in thick undergrowth in a private garden beside the D718 road to the north of Locmariaquer.

Kercadoret Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.360  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This nice little dolmen stands proud at the edge of its field, well hidden behind a big hedge beside the D718 road a few kilometres to the north of Locmariaquer. Look carefully, and there is a pathway through the hedge and wooded area. The dolmen is about 2.5 by 2 metres, and the single capstone sits on top of 6 support stones.

Kerran Dolmens

Trip No.203  Entry No.361  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: From the busy Chat Noir roundabout to the south of Crac'h, take a small lane to the southeast, a few hundred metres along which you find a little clearing to the right of the lane within which this tomb resides. I was not quite sure what to make of it, there are two obvious chambers, both still with capstones, but there looks to be more. I think it was probably two dolmens with entrance corridors, probably both once contained within a single mound.

The first, western chamber, has a 3 metre by 3 metre capstone on a chamber twice the size, possibly seperated into two by an internal stone. The eastern chamber is 3 m by 2 m and has an end stone, with a probable entrance to the south. As with most of the lesser known monuments around here, it is all becoming very overgrown with gorse and brambles, which is a real shame.

There was once a third dolmen here, which was bought and then completely removed in order to make a family tomb of the Archéologist Jean-Baptiste Piketty (1827-1884) in the cemetary at Meudon.

Kermané Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.362  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the southwest of the Chat Noir roundabout is the hamlet of Kerangoff, where there can be found a dolmen and a menhir. The dolmen is easy to find, right beside the track amongst the houses, but is very overgrown. It has a large 4 metre by 3 metre chamber with the capstone supported on 8 sidestones, and an iron bar.

Men-Milene

Trip No.203  Entry No.363  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 12th Jun 2005

Log Text: To the southwest of the Chat Noir roundabout is the hamlet of Kerangoff, where there can be found a dolmen and a menhir. The menhir proved impossible for me to find, hidden somewhere in the forest behind the houses amongst the ferns and gorse, despite a longish walk around all the area.

Kervehennec Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.364  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the north of the D781 road, in a little area behind Kervanhennic farm can be seen the remains of this fairly wrecked dolmen on top of a little granite hillock. There is not much more than a single 3 m by 2 metres capstone and a few support stones to be seen. It looks to have had a wall built into it in the past, and it is becoming overgrown.

Mané Roullarde

Trip No.203  Entry No.365  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The remains of this monument are to be found on a hilltop site overlooking the yachting and seaside town of La Trinité-sur-Mer, now surrounded by expensive looking flats. There is an 18 metre long Allée Couverte known as Er-Groh, with only 4 capstones remaining in place, which faces southeast at 150°. Some of the side support stones have Pierres-Plates style engravings on them, but being exposed in this external situation, they are very difficult to make out amongst the lichens and moss etc.

At some point in the past it has had a wall built into it. There are also said to be several underground passages to be found here, which date back to Gallic iron age times, and of which the description reminds me of the Cornish Fougous. However, I found it impossible to find any of these to be seen amongst the undergrowth of the area.

Dolmen de Mane Rohr

Trip No.203  Entry No.366  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 12th Jun 2005

Log Text: Despite being clearly marked on the map, besides the sports ground and with a footpath to it, I could find no way through the houses to the hilltop position in the real world.

Mané Bras

Trip No.203  Entry No.367  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: According to a signpost at the roadside, it is only a 500 metre walk along a bridlepath to this monument. However, in practice it involved crossing a swamp, negotiating woodland full of brambles and nettles, then crossing an open tract of heather, and last but by no means least, somehow getting through a gorse jungle.

Its a nice monument to find though, as two passagewayed dolmens look out of their mound at you upon finally reaching it. On the right, the northern chamber is about 3m by 3 metres rectangular with a 4 metres passageway to the east. On the left, a 4 m by 3 metre oval chamber, without capstone, has about a 6 metre passage leading out to the edge of the mound. It was all far too overgrown though, and getting photograps was nearly impossible.

Many of these lesser known sites need a good dose of TLC. I later found that there are more dolmens and cjambers to be found here in th hilltop mound. Obviously one for another visit it some time.

Kermarquer Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.368  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This one is much easier to find than its neighbour, but still involves 100 metres of fighting a way through gorse and bramble filled woodland. The monument is a strange one, with two chambers off of a single entry corridor. The main chamber, a rectangular 2.5 metres by 2.5 metres has no capstone, and leads straight off of the corridor. The second chamber is off to the side of this, with its entry at the side of chamber 1, and is about 1.5 m by 1.5 m, and is covered by a capstone. The corridor has two large capstones still in place. This monument is still mostly contained within its mound, and all very overgrown, making photographs very difficult.

Le Petit Ménec

Trip No.203  Entry No.369  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice place to explore on a hot afternoon, a nice walk in a cool woodland filled with stones. There are hundreds of them to be seen, lined up through the woods, mostly less than a metre tall but some reach up to about 2 metres. There are round ones, pointy ones, square ones, thick ones, thin ones, indeed all shapes and sizes. Look a bit further into the woods away from the footpath and you'll find more stones.

The lines seem to get closer together, as does the spacing of the stones, the further east you go, but nothing seems very ordered or regular. From where I sit and have a contemplate, I can count 8 rows, but there are probably more hidden by trees or under walls.

Excellent. I later find out that there was once much more to be seen here, with the rows being destroyed and removed in order to build the Belle Ile lighthouse.

Dolmen de La Madeleine (Carnac)

Trip No.203  Entry No.370  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Blimey, this dolmen is not hidden in dense woodland ! It is to be found in an open field at the top of a little raise, but the field was closed off with an electric fence, so I didn’t go in to see the dolmen at close quarters.