Créac'h Gallic

Trip No.203  Entry No.528  Date Added: 28th May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Here are the remains of a fairly large dolmen, but it looks to be in a bit of a precarious state. Warning signs and a fence warn of climbing on or near to the stones. The basic chamber is about 4 metres by 2 metres and 2 metres high, with a single capstone resting (just) on three support stones. It looks like a fourth support has recently broken and fallen, and it looks most precarious and that it could fall at any time.

Strangely there are many large slabs around the outside, making a sort of wall, I cannot really make this out at all. Seems it was once a large allée couverte with a peristalith surrounding its mound, some of which still survives. But its a bit difficult to fully make out and understand, and has no doubt been damaged in the past with the construction of the farms and the lanes.

There are many other large stones laying around, I need to try and look this one up. Now I know what it is, it seems obvious what the remains are.

Guinivrit

Trip No.203  Entry No.529  Date Added: 28th May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This really is a nice place to visit, certainly when its quiet and the sun is out. I had hoped to see it with the tide well in tonight, but one thing and another and its now gone 8:00, and the tide is already gone out for two hours, and the water has gone from around it. However, there is still a lot of water flooding out of the bay, and I certainly wouldn't want to try and get a boat in here, as its going at running speed.

The allée couverte is easily found down beside the little harbour, and nowadays is signposted. Its not far at all from the little campsite where I stayed. Despite the fact that it has no capstones, and that some of the large side stones have been broken so it could act as a mole in the water for mooring and protecting boats in the past, it really is surprisingly complete. Most of the stones are still in place, not only of the main chamber, but also the peristalith, which is suitably boat shaped. In fact the whole thing looks rather like a boat pulled up onto the shoreline.

The main chamber is about eleven metres long and 1.5 metres in width, but with the outer stones the full size of the monument is more than double that, perhaps 30 metres by 6 metres. There is both a forward and aft extension to the compartmentalised chamber. Fantastic.

While here, I met a chap out for a bike ride, and we got talking about why I was here and ancient stones. He said he has always lived in the area, and as a boy used to play in the Goazvenn dolmen. He went on to tell me about a large fallen menhir that is almost forgotten, and that nobody ever talks about, and which seems to be in no historical records. He told me how to find it by walking around the coast path, and showed me where it was on my map, fallen onto the rocky shore. I decided that this was one place I had to visit, finding these forgotten stones has much more of a thrill than seeing the well known ones.

Guinivrit

Trip No.214  Entry No.2  Date Added: 28th May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 16th Apr 2014

Log Text: Seen from over the estuary from the south, tide out and on the sandy beach.

Grand menhir de Saint-Eden

Trip No.214  Entry No.1  Date Added: 28th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 16th Apr 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Splendid fallen menhir, right at the edge of the sea, and bigger than I recall it. Now got some pictures with Dad in it for scale. Dad thought it looked like it had a snake or serpent head

Grand menhir de Saint-Eden

Trip No.203  Entry No.532  Date Added: 28th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This is the menhir that the chap I met last night was telling me about, right at the edge of the Grève (rocky shore), and unfortunately the sea has claimed it. It is now fallen and laying top down into the sea when the tide is in. Perhaps its one of those menhirs that came down to the sea to drink at midnight, had too much and didnt make it back. Or perhaps came down one night when the tide was not a big one, and fell over while trying to quench its thirst. Whatever, its a great pleasure to find this almost forgotten stone which is not marked on any map.

The stone is a lovely top heavy shape, some would say phallic, and about 8 metres in length. Its a pity it cant be re-erected somewhere, although obviously not in its original cliff edge position. There was an old farmer chap working in some fields nearby who told me that he could remember it standing, but he had no idea when it fell, but it was a long time ago. Fantastic.

Prat Meur menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.530  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a pleasant enough menhir, probably 2.8 metres tall and nearly as wide, but less than a metre thick. It is stood in a field beside a trackway at the end of the lane from the port to Prat Meur hamlet. It is nicely weathered at the top.

Somebodies air force is out and about, looks like F.16s so it isn't the French. Probably on holiday at Landivisiau. Suddenly there's a commotion, and a dog barking. A large rabbit or hare flashes past me about 5 metres away, with a dog hotly in chase about 15 metres behind. The rabbit is across a field of artichokes and into a hedge before the dog, and it all goes quiet, before a man is out and whistling to the dog. An interesting little episode.

Porz Ar Stréat menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.531  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice menhir in a field not far from the harbour, only a couple of hundred metres from the main village centre. Its over 4 metres high and a sort of square section, but tapered at the top, and it has a nice lean.

I cant get right up to it for details though, and its a pity about all the refrigerated lorries at the fish plant nearby making a racket, and a very smelly farmyard.

Menhir de Kergoarat

Trip No.203  Entry No.533  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: In contrast to its bulbous headed, thirsty neighbour, this fine chap looks to be wearing a pointy hat. He must be a good 7 metres tall and standing perfectly upright on this little headland beyond the beach. As with most of the stones round here, it is a wonderfully weathered rock, and from certain angles it has a face in it, looking out over the sea.

Menhir d'Irvit

Trip No.203  Entry No.534  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just below 4 metres tall, this tapered menhir has a sort of hook at the top of it. Perhaps it is intended as a washing line post! It looks to me, by the patterns in the lichen, that it had a sign attached to it for many years. It can be found down a track into a field just east of the D.330 road south of Poulfoen.

Créac’h-ar-Vrenn

Trip No.203  Entry No.535  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I am not 100% sure that I found this. What I possibly found is just some natural rocks. I looked all over the place and asked a couple of people, who both pointed me in the other direction away from their house towards the others. Despite signposts to it down the same lane as the menhir, there was no further evidence for it down there, but the new house being built is probably where the path went.

What I did find, behind the house at the top of the hill beside the water tower, was two rounded looking granite blocks, but it is possible that they have been placed there. With all the fences and undergrowth it was impossible to see if the stones were resting on any kind of supports, but these stones are certainly in the right position for where it is marked on the map.

Couinandré Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.536  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nicely curved menhir just down a little track and signposted east of Plouescat. Its about 4 metres tall, but in a strange position, not on top of the hill or by the stream. Despite a little area set aside for it to live in, its getting very overgrown.

Kerider stèle

Trip No.203  Entry No.537  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice tapered Iron Age stèle which can be found near the hamlet of Kerider, a few kilometres to the east of Plouescat. It is easy to find, just to the north of the D.10 road to St Pol-de-Léon near to the roundabout. It is about 2 metres tall, and nicely octagonal in section.

Kerivin Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.538  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Not far off the busy road between Morlaix and Roscoff, this Tee shaped allee couvetre is becoming very overgrown, and its difficult to make anything out at all now. It is also not far from a field corner where people have decided to dumpstuff, so overall its not a winner. I seem to remember this from about 10 years ago as being a good and interesting place to visit.

Kerivin Dolmen

Trip No.187  Entry No.92  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 11th Sep 1987. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Cycling camping trip round Brittany day 12. Cycle from Huelgoat, across the Monts Arrée in the pouring rain to St Pol de Leon

Kerivin Dolmen

Trip No.216  Entry No.1  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2016. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Not far off the busy road between Morlaix and Roscoff, this Tee shaped allee couvetre is becoming very overgrown, and its difficult to make anything out at all now. It is also not far from a field corner where people have decided to dumpstuff, so overall its not a winner. I seem to remember this from many years ago as being a good and interesting place to visit.

Barnenez Cairn

Trip No.203  Entry No.539  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This magnificent large cairn, is now signposted from miles around as Le Grand Cairn (de Barnenez). It costs €4.60 to get in, and there is a little visitor centre and shop, with replicas of some of the carved stones on display. Unlike 12 years ago, or whenever, you cannot go into many of the chambers, which are now walled off fairly crudely and unimaginatively, which I think really spoils the place. Its not just that you cant get in, but the way its been done really detracts from the view of the cairn and all its many entrances.

Only two chambers and passages are now open, these being the two beehive construction open chambers, but these seem to be cracking and breaking up. I was told by the man in the centre that they are not, and that they have been like that since their discovery. Perhaps its my memory, but I wonder if the 1960s restoration work is not lasting anywhere near so long as the original 6,000 year old work!

It's still a mighty impressive and imposing tomb sitting on top of its headland, and I think that more land has been cleared around it, allowing much better views over the Bay of Morlaix on one side, and Anse de Terenez on the other, which during this visit were full with a high tide, making the whole place seem truly wonderful.

I got talking to the men in the shop, and they were interested to hear about what I was doing, and one of the guys suggested a couple of places that I shouldn't miss. Commana allee couverte near Roche Trevezel, and Chapelle des Sept Saints near Lannion - a chapel built on top of a dolmen, which can still be seen.

Barnenez Cairn

Trip No.214  Entry No.12  Date Added: 29th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 16th Apr 2014. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: After our visit to Ile Carn, we really had to pay a visit to this, to show Dad the sanitised version of one of these big Brittany Cairns, and just how big they can get. Unfortunately, we arrived just after 5:00, and the man would not let us in, saying that yes, it is open till 5:30, but last entrance was before 5:00 (now about €5:50).

Never mind, we had time to wander round the outside, and although the fence and hedges now prevent any view from the south or east, from the north most of the cairn can be seen through a few gaps from where the cairn 2 is. I am not sure how many of the 11 passages and chambers can be entered these days, as most look closed off. However, for our purposes, this was enough of a visit really; as Dad said, it wouldn't be as good as the one out on the island.

Bois de la Roche dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.541  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I am not quite sure exactly what I found here - the pile of rocks I found looked decidedly natural, yet in a very distinctive pile with one set on top of three and a large space underneath, and its in exactly the right place compared to the map. I guess its one of those dolmens made using the best locally available materials. In dense woodland, but right at the junction of two country lanes about 3 km north of the village of Commana.

Commana Stèle

Trip No.203  Entry No.540  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: On the village green by the car park round the back of the church can be found this Iron Age granite stèle. It's a tapered cylindrical shape just over 2 metres high. There are no obvious grooves or other shaping to it.

Mougau Bihan

Trip No.203  Entry No.542  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is an absolutely splendid allée couverte, which has been dated to 3000BC, found a couple of kilometres to the south of the village of Commana, and signposted from there. It has a little car park and picnic area, as well as a nice and spacious grassy area around it.

The main chamber is 14 metres in length and oriented approximately north to south, with its entrance at the northern end. The southern end has an extra small chamber, the "cella", the two parts being divided by a splendid "chevet" stone. The roof is made of five large capstones, four on the main chamber, and one on the cella. The internal width and height are about 1.5 metres.

But the best thing about this monument is all the ornamental engravings on the internal faces of the stones. About half of the side slabs have engravings on them which are fairly clear to make out. Most of these engravings are what are called "palettes", some stones having several of these of various designs next to each other. One of the stones has two pairs of the double hemispheres on it - these have been largely interpreted as pairs of breasts. The closing stone between the two chambers has a palette and also a wonderful polished axe, contained within its "crosse", but this is one of the least clear engravings, being much more weatherworn than some which have been better protected.

Mougau Bihan translates from the Breton language to "Fairies Cave".