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Quiberon menhir
Trip No.203 Entry No.430 Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 2 Access 5
Quiberon menhir submitted by thecaptain on 9th Jun 2006. This 5 metre tall manhir is to be found positioned in a little town square near to a war memorial in Quiberon town.
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Log Text: A 5 metre tall menhir is to be found positioned in a little town square near to a war memorial in Quiberon town.
Crucuny tumulus
Trip No.203 Entry No.371 Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Long Barrow
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Crucuny tumulus submitted by thecaptain on 10th Jun 2006. This is a large mound, over 50 metres long, 25 metres wide and 13 metres high, to be seen just to the north of the Crucuny hamlet, but all very overgrown and covered in gorse.
The road partially goes over the mound.
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Log Text: There is a large mound, 50 metres long and 13 metres high, to be seen just to the north of the hamlet, but all very overgrown and covered in gorse. On top of the tumulus is a menhir, 2.8 metres tall, with axes carved on it.
Moustoir tumulus
Trip No.203 Entry No.375 Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5
Moustoir tumulus submitted by thecaptain on 10th Jun 2006. This massive great mound, 90 metres in length, 40 metres wide and 8 metres high, can be found just to the south of the hamlet of Moustoir, a few kilometres to the north of Carnac.
It has become terribly overgrown.
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Log Text: This massive great mound, 90 metres in length, 40 metres wide and 8 metres high, can be found just to the south of the hamlet of Moustoir, a few kilometres to the north of Carnac. The mound is aligned roughly Northeast to Southwest, and has a small menhir on the top at the eastern end, and a larger one at the bottom of the western end.
The menhir on the top of the tumulus is about 2.1 metres high and quite slender, and of a sort of circular section. The menhir at the western end is 3.3 metres high, quite thin and a nice pointed triangular shape.
Towards the western end of the mound is an entrance in the southern side, which after a short passage opens up into a 5 metre by 2.5 metre chamber, with a large capstone and some reinforced concrete. The walls are a mix of large slabs and drystone walling. You need a good torch to see your way around.
There is more to this tumulus, as on the top of the mound near the eastern menhir can be seen a reinforced steel cover to something, indicating that there may be another chamber inside, for which I could find no entry. As for the majority of the monuments around here, this is all terribly overgrown, and difficult to properly make out what is here.
Menhir du Moustoir
Trip No.203 Entry No.376 Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
Menhir du Moustoir submitted by thecaptain on 10th Jun 2006. The Moustoir tumulus has a small menhir on the top at the eastern end, and a larger one at the bottom of the western end.
The menhir at the western end is 3.3 metres high, quite thin and a nice pointed triangular shape.
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Log Text: Just beside the western end of the massive Moustoir tumulus is a nice menhir, 3.3 metres high, quite thin and a nice pointed triangular shape.
Roc'h en Aud Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.419 Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Roc'h en Aud dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 12th Jun 2006. Roc'h en Aud dolmen is a curious affair, right in amongst the houses.
Around the top of the side slabs is a sort of circle of capstones, overhanging the chamber, but the top of the main chamber is not covered.
The covering was originally of a sort of large corbelling arrangement with the top stone gone. Intriguing.
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Log Text: This is a curious affair, right in amongst the houses. It has a sort of square chamber, 4 m by 4 m with an entrance in the middle of the eastern side. But around the top of the side slabs (three per side) is a sort of circle of capstones, overhanging the chamber. The top of the main chamber is not covered. It looks to me as if the covering was of a sort of large corbelling arrangement with the top stone gone. Intriguing.
Kerbougnec Cromlech
Trip No.203 Entry No.416 Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 5
Kerbougnec Cromlech submitted by thecaptain on 12th Jun 2006. Found in amongst the houses of St-Pierre-Quiberon, this is nowadays a large semi circle of about 40 contiguous stones, average height about 1.8 metres.
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Log Text: Found in amongst the houses of St-Pierre-Quiberon, this is nowadays a large semi circle of about 40 contiguous stones, average height about 1.8 metres. It is however just a small part of the remains of what was perhaps once an egg shaped enclosure, with a diameters of about 95 by 75 metres.
It is to be found just off the main road along the peninsular, and is nowadays surrounding a tennis court in a very quiet little cul-de-sac.
Pointe de Men Maria dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.337 Date Added: 4th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5
Pointe de Men Maria dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 12th Jul 2006. This poor little dolmen is walled in within a carpark, which I suppose at least protects it a bit.
It is otherwise superbly situated on a little headland which seperates the Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys harbour from the beach.
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Log Text: This poor little dolmen is walled in within a carpark, which I suppose at least protects it a bit. It is superbly situated on a little headland which seperates the Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys harbour from the beach - a very desireable place apart from the car park.
The dolmen is a simple dolmen with a little corridor, but it is not too easy to make it all out, there was possibly a lot more of it once, and it has probably been much modified. the single capstone is 3 metres by 1.5 metres, and there are half a dozen supports, with various other stones laying about.
Dolmens des Grays
Trip No.203 Entry No.326 Date Added: 4th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 4
Dolmens des Grays submitted by thecaptain on 19th Jul 2006. Dolmens des Grays
The deteriorating signboard.
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Log Text: Walking to the west along the coast path from the big carpark near the beach at Penlann headland, and you get to the remains of this large cairn after about 500 metres. It is difficult to make anything out nowadays, other than there are lots of large rocks on the remains of a large mound, overlooking the Villaine estuary. Closer inspection shows this to have once been a large 30 metre diameter cairn, with at least three passage tombs within it, two of which still have a few capstones in position.
Dolmen du Crapaud
Trip No.203 Entry No.325 Date Added: 4th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 4
Dolmen du Crapaud submitted by thecaptain on 19th Jul 2006. Dolmen du Crapaud signboard.
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Log Text: Perched on its clifftop, overlooking the sea and a nice sandy beach, from certain angles this does indeed look like a toad poking its head up. Much of the original tomb is no longer with us due to erosion of the cliffs, and what remains is a capstone perched on top of a few small uprights. The capstone is less than 2 metres by 2 metres, but it is in a really splendid position.
The dolmen can be found by walking to the east along the coast path from the big carpark near the beach at Penlann headland.
St-Pierre-Quiberon Alignement
Trip No.203 Entry No.417 Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5
St-Pierre-Quiberon Alignement submitted by thecaptain on 12th Jun 2006. Out on the Quiberon Peninsula, near to the Kerbourgnec cromlech, and towards the town centre and the sea can be found a pleasant little park with the remains of these alignements in it.
The notice says that there are 23 stones in 5 parallel rows, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there were many more dotted about in peoples gardens.
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Log Text: Just beyond the cromlech, and towards the town centre and the sea can be found a pleasant little park with the remains of these alignements in it. The notice says that there are 23 stones in 5 parallel rows, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there were many more dotted about in peoples gardens.
The stones are of all shapes and sizes, up to 4 metres tall. There's a lovely curved "sharks fin" in front of me as I sit and write this, and a diamond to my right. These stones are wonderful, and its lovely to be able to just sit amongst them. Supposedly the lines travel further down and out into the sea, remains of which can be seen at very low tides.
I followed the little lane down to the beach and the sea, and the tide was well out. There seemed to me to be several very clear lines of rocks stretching out into the sea in parallel rows. The earth and soil has obviously been washed away from around the rocks, and they now just sit on the rocky seabed, but lines of them there definitely are. I believe I can see at least seven rows of rocks from where I sit on the bottom of the steps down to the beach. Fantastic! But I'll bet they dont show up well in my pictures though.
Porz Guen Dolmens
Trip No.203 Entry No.431 Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 4
Porz Guen dolmens submitted by thecaptain on 14th Jun 2006. Remains of two dolmens which can be found on the clifftop to the north of the Porz Guen beach on the Cote Sauvage of the Quiberon Peninsula, just a few minutes walk around the spectacular cliff path from various parking places.
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Log Text: Found on the clifftop to the north of the Porz Guen beach on the Cote Sauvage of the Quiberon Peninsula, just a few minutes walk around the spectacular cliff path from various parking places.
These are the remains of two ruined dolmens with entry corridors facing to the south east, probably once within the same large mound, and possibly also remains of a third. The more inland is the most complete, with one capstone surviving on the entry couloir. The chamber is about 3 m by 3 m rectangular and would have been roofed with large corbelled capstones around it, many of which survive. The second chamber is only half there, with some of it now gone over the cliff edge. It has an oval chamber, and a long corridor of which several stones survive. There are other upright positioned stones between the two.
This really is a spectacular place, overlooking a splendid rough sea with surfers out in it below. Excellent.
Les Bordouès
Trip No.204 Entry No.3 Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4
Les Bordouès submitted by TheCaptain on 2nd Jun 2007. This is the remains of a small allée couverte, 8 metres long and 1.5 metres wide.
There is a small entry porchway, separated from the main chamber by a large slab, at the southeast end.
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Log Text: This is the remains of a small allée couverte, 8 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, with only one capstone still in place. There is a small entry porchway, separated from the main chamber by a large slab, at the southeast end. Excavations in 1976 found amongst other things five polished axes. Much of its oval mound still remains. It is to be found about a kilometres marked walk through the forest from the Monteneuf visitor centre.
Lande de Rousse
Trip No.204 Entry No.7 Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Lande de Rousse submitted by TheCaptain on 2nd Jun 2007. Deep into the forest is what looked to me to be a row of fallen menhirs, with one large rock still protruding from the ground.
It wouldn't surprise me if there was another row here, like some of those at the nearby Pierres Droites, or perhaps something like La Pièce Couverte.
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Log Text: Beside the track to the Loge Morinais is marked a menhir on the local maps. I had a good look around, and deep into the forest is what looked to me to be a row of fallen menhirs, with one large rock still protruding from the ground. It wouldnt surprise me if there was another row here, like those at the nearby Pierres Droites, or La Pièce Couverte.
La Roche Blanche
Trip No.204 Entry No.4 Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Round Cairn
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3
La Roche Blanche submitted by TheCaptain on 2nd Jun 2007. This is a nice shining white quartz block within a circle of local schist stones.
It is thought to probably mark the grave of an individual, rather than being a collective grave.
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Log Text: This is a nice shining white quartz block within a sort of circle of local schist stones. It is thought to probably mark the grave of an individual, rather than being a collective grave. It can be found about a kilometres walk from the Monteneuf visitors centre, through the forests along a marked trail.
La Loge Morinais
Trip No.204 Entry No.6 Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3
La Loge Morinais submitted by TheCaptain on 3rd Jun 2007. La Loge Morinais, near Monténeuf.
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Log Text: This is the remains of an allée couverte made of the local purple schist, and can be found in the forest to the north east of the Monteneuf visitors centre, about a kilometre away along a signposted trail. It is about 13 metres long and has an orientation of due east to west. There is an entrance lobby at the east end, and an antichamber at the west, but no capstones remain in place.
It can be easily found from several places with signposted forest walks. The day I was here, there was a nearby target set up for the prehistoric shooting championships.
La Verrie menhir
Trip No.204 Entry No.10 Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 2 Access 5
La Verrie menhir submitted by TheCaptain on 5th Jun 2007. The stone is nearly 5 metres tall and 4.5 metres in width, but is less than 0.5 metre thick.
It resembles the comb of a cockerel from some angles the way the top edge has become serrated.
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Log Text: This is a nice stone, fairly easily found near to the farm of La Verrie a kilometre or so to the northeast of Monteneuf. The stone is nearly 5 metres tall and 4.5 metres in width, but is less than 0.5 metre thick. It resembles the comb of a cockerel the way the top edge has become serrated. The stone is near to the corner of a field, only 20 metres from the lane, but also only 30 metres from the farm, with all sorts of buildings and machinery around, which detracts from the atmosphere of the stone.
Rocher Maheux
Trip No.204 Entry No.8 Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3
Rocher Maheux submitted by TheCaptain on 6th Jun 2007. What a terrible state the remains of this allée couverte are in. It is now not much more than a row of stones in the edge of a wood, and very overgrown.
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Log Text: What a terrible state the remains of this allée couverte are in. It seems to have been pushed about to the edge of the field, and is now not much more than a row of stones in the edge of a wood. The remains are about a dozen slabs, roughly lined up, but probably only in line with the edge of the field. It is however signposted and on the megalithic trail walk from Monteneuf, but it is not worth the detour.
Tombeau des Géants
Trip No.204 Entry No.11 Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3
Tombeau des Géants submitted by TheCaptain on 8th Jun 2007. The signboard near the site.
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Log Text: Also known as "Roche a la Vieille", or "Old Hag's Rock", this is a strange little monument high up in the hills by the GR37 footpath, a kilometre or so from a large parking area. What it is now is a 4 metre long, 1 metre wide coffre type grave, made using 4 large stone slabs and many other smaller stone bits making up the ends.
It is supposedly a bronze age burial tomb, but constructed from some previous megalithic standing stones from the area. Not far from the tomb is a fallen 4 metre long menhir, and several other pieces of rock. There was probably a line of large menhirs here in long distant times, which have been re used.
Centre Les Landes
Trip No.204 Entry No.2 Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Museum
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5
Centre Les Landes submitted by TheCaptain on 18th Jun 2007. The Monteneuf visitor centre, at the Pierres Droites, has many activities days.
This is a competitor in the prehistoric spear thrower (Propulseur, or Atlatl)competition.
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Log Text: A visitor centre has been set up amongst the Pierres Droites near to the village of Monténeuf, which has interactive displays which show erection of menhirs, building of neolithic homes, crop growing, archaeological excavations etc etc. Around the centre have been found several hundred megaliths, with most of the stones was only discovered in the last 20 years after a forest fire.
When I visited in July 2005, they were holding a round of the world "prehistoric shooting" championships, which included both bow and propulseur categories. On the hot sunny Sunday afternoon of this weekend event, the whole place was very busy, with all sorts of demonstrations in full swing. There was basket weaving, corn grinding, pottery making, stone polishing, mud wall making, flint knapping, fire making, cookery, archery, spear throwing and many other things, all of which the public was invited to have a go at, especially the children. What an excellent place this is.
The Atlatl (propulseur) competition is very impressive. i wondered just how much better than a plain spear it is, and was well impressed with both the power and accuracy achieved by many of the competitors. There was one chap that not only nearly hit the bull every time, but launched his spear so hard it went halfway through the target. I got lots of pictures of this, including the organiser with whom I had conducted a little interview with yesterday. Well worth going back for.
Piprais menhir
Trip No.204 Entry No.15 Date Added: 4th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
Piprais menhir submitted by TheCaptain on 29th Jun 2007. This 4.5 metre tall menhir can be found in a field just to the northeast of the village of Monterrein.
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Log Text: This 4.5 metre tall menhir can be found in a field of sweetcorn just to the northeast of the village of Monterrain, near to a roadside cross. The menhir, a white quartz looking stone, seems to be splitting into two. Apparently there is another fallen stone nearby, but hidden from view by the maize.