Estivaux Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.25  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the east of the village of Estivaux, this dolmen can be found in a field near to the sports stadium and a new housing development, just about 50 metres from the road. Its an odd little affair, and almost looks modern. The oval capstone, 3.5 m by 2.5 m sits on top of 4 support stones making a small chamber 2 metres by 1 metre inside, and about 1.5 metres in height. The support stones look to me to be quite new, perhaps an enthusiastic restoration job has been done, and it is all a bit too level. Unfortunately two of the support stones have been painted blue, and the ambience of the place is spoiled by the power cables directly overhead.

Dolmen de Rochesseux

Trip No.205  Entry No.26  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This little dolmen is found in a sort of parkland high up on the slopes of Puy de Pauliac, above the historical village of Aubazines. It is signposted from the road. A triangular 3 metres by 2 metres capstone sits delicately balanced on top of two side support stones and a back stone, with a chamber 2.5 metres long by 1 metre wide underneath. The two side stones are both pointed at the top, and the capstone sits only on their points, and the small backstone almost at the same place, overhanging substantially in all directions. The chamber faces eastwards, at a bearing of 080°. The capstone has a lovely ring to it when knocked.

Dolmen dit La Maison du Loup

Trip No.205  Entry No.24  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: About a kilometre from the village of Espartignac, this dolmen can be found along a signposted track from the village square near to the Bar Le Dolmen. It is found in thick woodland on the end of a defended headland overlooking the Vézère river, and is at the top of a cliff edge. The dolmen is in part made from natural rocks, with a couple of sideslabs and a capstone (now broken into two pieces) resting on a rocky outcrop. The capstone is about 3 metres by 2 metres, and sits about 2 metres above the floor of the chamber.

The headland has been fortified for many hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands. But what can be seen today, with a Motte surrounded by another flat and defended area, dates to post Roman times. There are also double ditches and banks at the south to defend from the landward side of the headland not surrounded by the river. This place is at the site of an important ford across the Vézère river, on the important route from northern France to the Mediterranean.

Puy de Pauliac Cromlech

Trip No.205  Entry No.27  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: At the top of the lovely Puy de Pauliac hill to the east of the historical village of Aubazines, is an orientation table, and fantastic views stretching for many miles in nearly all directions, with the high point of the Massif Central, the Puy de Sancy to be seen way off in the east. Near to the top of this hill is marked a cromlech, and I almost didn't find it. The cromlech can be found a bit downhill to the north of the summit, and it is signposted, although the tiny little wooden sign is easily missed, hiding in the woodland.

In a clearing in the forest covered slopes, the cromlech is made with many stones, nearly all less than a metre tall, set up almost touching each other making an enclosure which is a sort of rounded square about 40 to 50 metres across. At the southern, upslope side, is a large outcrop of natural rocks, probably 10 to 15 metres high from which the cromlech extends, joining between other significant natural rocks, to close off the area.

It is very easy to imagine a gathering of people here, with the leader stood on top of the large natural rocks giving his sermon. Within the cromlech are several nicely weathered natural granite slabs, one of which has a large break in it. These would make good seats for the best view !

Dolmen de la Route Vieille

Trip No.205  Entry No.28  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st Sep 2005

Log Text: There is supposed to be a dolmen here, according to my notes, but there is nothing mentioned on any of my maps or on any of the village noticeboards or tourist publicity. Churches, a Chateau and caves are all mentioned, but no dolmen. Perhaps the dolmen is in a different village called Noailles.

Dolmen de Cieurac

Trip No.205  Entry No.29  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Lot (46))
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st Sep 2005

Log Text: Just over the Dordogne river from the town of Souillac should be found this dolmen. There are no signposts to it, and its not on any of my maps, but it is mentioned in a book I have, and is supposedly to be found at a corner of the road in the woods at the top of the hill. However, the woods are very thick and dense, and the hillside very steep, so without any better information, there is no way I am going to find this one.

Dolmen du Pech (Cazals)

Trip No.205  Entry No.36  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Despite not being marked on any ign maps I have seen, this box tomb dolmen is easily found as it is right beside the D.75B between Bourdoncle and Doumerc by the road to Frau. Subject of an excavation in 1989, and reconstruction in 1992, it is now fenced in, presumably for protection, but it looks terribly ugly because of that.

The chamber seems to be of a double type, open to the east, with a large first chamber 4.5 metres by 2.5 metres between two large side slabs, followed by the smaller chamber between side slabs one metre apart. A single large capstone covers the back chamber and a part of the first, and there is a secondary loose stone structure on the top, covering the capstone. The front of the chamber is walled off from the outside. The odd thing about this dolmen is the rectangular mound it is contained within, which has been subject to a perhaps over-enthusiastic reconstruction. There are other rectangular tombs like this, especially in this locality, but somehow this seems too regular and uniform. The dimensions of the stone mound are about 10 metres wide by 25 metres long. The back, western, end is curved and not squared. The whole thing is most odd.

While reversing to try and park the van here, I completely missed seeing a roadsign and flattened the thing completely - luckily it was only loosely held in the ground and did no damage, and was easy to stand up again !

Dolmen de Saillac

Trip No.205  Entry No.37  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a bizarrely Christianised dolmen which can be found in the forests to the south of the village of Caylus. From Caylus follow the signs to St-Amans-le-Vieux ancient church, and park in the vicinity of this, from where you take the GR46 Footpath the opposite way from the road towards the southwest for about 500 metres, and the remains of the dolmen can be seen on the left.

This dolmen has been much altered, and at first I had difficulty recognising it, but it is right beside the path with the wall built right through it. On top of the remains of the capstone has been built a stone plinth, with an ornate iron cross protruding from this, the top of which is about 3 metres above the ground. The dolmen is still partially contained within its circular mound, and the remains of two sidestones and a backstone can be seen, with the small capstone balanced on these and a few other bits of stone to make it level.

Tombe du Géant (Septfonds)

Trip No.205  Entry No.35  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: The Tombe du Géant is a scheduled historic monument, and as such it is marked on the local maps, both 1:25,000 and 1:100,000, near to the farm of Les Tombes to the southeast of Septfonds. It is however not so easy to find in the real world, with the fields and indeed many of the trackways in this area having recently been thoroughly fenced off, with both barbed wire and electric fences, and new hedges planted. At first, I could find no way through to this dolmen, and as it is in a bit of woodland, there was no way I could see anything from nearby either. Before giving up totally, I thought I would try an approach from a different angle, and indeed, there is a new trackway made, which takes one around the newly fenced off land. It is complex to describe, but starting from a point well to the south of where the dolmen is marked, take the signed PR.1 footpath firstly to the east for a couple of hundred metres, and then having passed the end of the first field and passed into some woods, turn left to the north and follow the trackway for about 500 metres where you will then find the Tombe du Géant in the woodland to the left of the path.

The dolmen is a nice one, still partially within its mound. The chamber is made with two long side slabs, each 5 metres in length, and with a nicely shaped and fitted backstone between them. The capstone has broken, and only half of it now remains. The chamber is 4.5 metres long by 1.5 metres wide internally, and as usual faces to the east. This would be a very pleasant spot, but for all the flies buzzing around and the humming and crackling power lines passing almost directly overhead. There are probably several other dolmens to be found in the locality, judging by certain names on the maps.

Menhir Ste Carissime

Trip No.205  Entry No.40  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Along the D.1 road between Le Verdier and Cahuzac-sur-Vère, and this menhir can be seen across the far side of the river, which is beyond a ploughed field to the south. At this time in the evening, the menhir was glowing a golden colour in the rays of the setting sun. I struggled across the ploughed field to get a close look from across the river, and estimate it to be about 2 metres tall and 1 metre wide, nicely positioned at a bend in the river below vine covered hillsides. After returning to my van and driving off, about half a mile further east along the road I saw a sign to "menhir" which would have taken you along a footpath and across a bridge to approach the menhir. Oh well.

Dolmen de Caux-Vieilles

Trip No.205  Entry No.32  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A bit to the south of the track running along the southern edge of the airfield, in the scrubland, are several mounds of stones. One of these mounds has a clear dolmen chamber within it, 3 metres in length by 1.5 metres in width. It consists of two side slabs and a backstone between them, but no capstone. The northern half of the mound still exists right up to the top of the side support, while the southern part is mostly missing. This chamber is very difficult to photograph with all the trees and bushes around it. I am lead to believe that there are many dolmens to be found within these woodlands, far more than the three that I found.

Finelle Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.31  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A bit to the west of the first dolmen, along the track running along the southern edge of the airfield, and you soon come to another dolmen. This one has lost its mound, which has no doubt been used to build the local walls, and it is standing proud at the edge of a flat area used for dumping rubble etc. Its a fairly standard southern French dolmen, with two 4 metre long sideslabs and a backstone between them, topped with a capstone, making a chamber 3 metres by 2 metres. There is some evidence of a front closing stone, and the chamber faces eastwards on a bearing of 095°.

Dolmen de Peyrelevade (Septfonds)

Trip No.205  Entry No.30  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: To the west of the village of Septfonds, and to the south of the little airfield are several dolmens in the woodlands. There are signposts to "dolmens" and down a little track is a parking place and more signs. Right beside this track is the first dolmen you come to. It is still mostly within its mound of loose stone, and quite a large one. The 5 metres by 4 metres capstone sits on top of a chamber 4 metres in length, by 2 metres wide, made with the usual 2 large sideslabs and a back stone, but these stones are completely below ground level. The chamber opens to the east, on a bearing of about 080°. To the west of the main dolmen are a couple of other long side set slabs near to the roadside, where the mound has been cut away. Perhaps this is the remains of a secondary burial chamber ? The mound diameter is about 15 metres. There are lots of strange red topped mushrooms / toadstools poking up through the ground here. Very interesting.

Saint-Paul Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.39  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Up in the hills covered with vineyards for the lovely Gaillac wine, to the northwest of the village of Le Verdier along some tiny lanes, can be found this relatively large dolmen. It is perhaps easier to reach by walking along the GR footpath along which it is signposted from the village, than trying to drive towards. However, I drove to a point in the hills to the northwest from where it was also signposted "dans le Bosquet", and then walked back towards the village. Unfortunately, not knowing the word Bosquet, I spent ages looking, assuming it was in a hedgerow or little wooded copse which could be see further along the trackway. This is not the case, and to find the dolmen do not follow the footpath, but look across the field to the south and it can be seen at the corner of the wood at the far side.

The large white capstone is 2 metres off the ground covering a chamber 4 metres by 2 metres, with the usual two sidestones and a backstone. The northern side slab is broken, and only survives at the front half of the chamber. The massive capstone is a sort of triangular shape, with the pointed end at the back. The dolmen is all made of a very chalky white stone, which I am slightly surprised has survived this long.

Strange how when you know where things are, they are easy to find. Not only can you clearly see the dolmen from where I had parked, but I also passed a little sign towards it when walking down the footpath. Doh !

There also appears to be another large stone of some kind a bit further along the edge of the wood to the west, which I hadn't seen from when I was there, could this be the remains of another dolmen ? Dolmen de St Pierre ?

The view of the lovely fortified hilltop village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral in the distance to the south is splendid. Mmmm, I must now go and try some of the Gaillac fruit.

Dolmen de Bartalbenque 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.33  Date Added: 18th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Couldn't find on 2nd Sep 2005

Log Text: Marked on my map are two dolmens not too far from the road between Dardenne water tower and Bartelbenque. However, this area of land has recently all been divided up and fenced off for what looks like new housing projects. In the scrubland behind the fences it was not possible to see any dolmens. I wonder what their fate is to be.

Dolmen de Bartalbenque 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.34  Date Added: 18th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn-et-Garonne (82))
Visited: Couldn't find on 2nd Sep 2005

Log Text: Marked on my map are two dolmens not too far from the road between Dardenne water tower and Bartelbenque. However, this area of land has recently all been divided up and fenced off for what looks like new housing projects. In the scrubland behind the fences it was not possible to see any dolmens. I wonder what their fate is to be.

Peyralade Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.38  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This dolmen is easily found, as it stands on a traffic island at the junction of the D.5 and D.91 roads a couple of kilometres to the north of the village of Vaour, on the high plateau to the south of the river Aveyron, and is signposted from several kilometres away.

The large but broken 5 metres by 3 metres capstone sits high above the ground on top of its two side supports (and 4 additional modern support stones) covering a chamber 4 m by 2 m oriented towards the southeast at 135°. Traces of the mound which once covered this dolmen are still visible although now well spread out.

Although this dolmen has lots to recommend it, in its size and high position with splendid views, it unfortunately sits at a fairly busy road junction, and the modern support stones are perhaps a little too obvious.

La Croix-La Botte

Trip No.205  Entry No.49  Date Added: 21st Oct 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Midi:Hautes-Pyrénées (65))
Visited: Yes on 5th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the west of the village of La Barthe-sur-Neste, and southeast of Capvern, along the hilltop beside the D.938 road, is a row of tumulus mounds. Most are now obvious only because of the ferns and stuff left growing on them, but the northwestern end tumulus is very well formed, 12 metres in diameter, 2 metres high and with a large cross on top. The row extends for about 1 kilometre, and there were probably once many more mounds to be found here, now mostly ploughed out or destroyed by the road.

Estaque d'Avezac cinq tumuli

Trip No.205  Entry No.48  Date Added: 21st Oct 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Midi:Hautes-Pyrénées (65))
Visited: Yes on 5th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the west of the village of La Barthe-sur-Neste, and southeast of Capvern, along the hilltop beside the D.938 road, is a row of tumulus mounds. Most are now obvious only because of the ferns and stuff left growing on them, but the northwestern end tumulus is very well formed, 12 metres in diameter, 2 metres high and with a large cross on top. The row extends for about 1 kilometre, and there were probably once many more mounds to be found here, now mostly ploughed out or destroyed by the road.

Grotte de Gargas

Trip No.205  Entry No.46  Date Added: 21st Oct 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Midi:Hautes-Pyrénées (65))
Visited: Yes on 5th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This is the cave which is famous for all the hand prints, but there is in fact much more than these to be seen. The cave is easily found round some windy lanes, being well signposted, and it is open every day, €6 entry per adult to visit, which takes about an hour. The visit is on two levels, which were two separate caves in prehistoric times, the joining together of which was done in the 19th century. The two caves are both very different, being used at different times in the past.

The upper level is a large, vertically oriented, well calcite decorated cave, within which are some paintings of animals in either red oxide or black manganese. There are bison, bouquetin and deer. The lower level has some panels with different animals engraved into the walls, which demonstrates the different time of usage, there are mammouth, auryx and reindeer. And then of course there are the hand prints, made by blowing the red or black pigment over the hand. Most do not have complete sets of fingers, and most are left hands, however all have a complete thumb. Why missing fingers ? Surely the hunters of the time would not have cut them off, as it would have been far too much of a handicap. Could it have been disease ? If so, then why no missing thumbs ? The latest thoughts as to this mystery is that the fingers may well have been simply bent back before making the silhouettes. In which case, is it a sign language ? What does it all mean ? Near to the end of the visit to the cave, is the "Great Wall of Hands". Not all of the hands are of adults, and there are hands from children too, some of which must have been quite young. The prints on this wall have been dated to 27,000 years ago. It is incredible to look at these hands of man from all that time ago. Near to the current exit to the cave, there are current excavations going on, the first since 1911, and they are hoping that with modern techniques, that more can be learned about the men that lived here.