Morrel das Fadas replica

Trip No.205  Entry No.105  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: A small representation of the dolmen des Fades has been built near the roundabout outside the campsite at Pepieux. Excellent.

Dolmen de Lauriol 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.107  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: From Siran, follow the signs to the Curiosité de L'Auriol, which takes you on a windy road north up onto the hills. The Curiosité is a weird bit of road where things seem to roll uphill - a trick of the eye over gravity. From here take the road left for half a kilometre to a big house (being done up in 2005) in amongst pine trees, and go beyond this to a track down to the left. Follow this track, and turn right at the junction with the trackway from the big house, then after a couple of hundred metres, the Grand dolmen de Lauriol is obvious at the left of the path.

Its a bit of a wreck, and becoming overgrown, but the 4m by 2m chamber, still within a mound of stones, is worth a look. The large capstone is now broken and fallen off to the side. This seems a good candidate for a bit of restoration. There are beautiful views from up here on the southern edge of the Montagne Noire.

Dolmen de Lauriol 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.108  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Nearby to the Grand dolmen de Lauriol are supposedly two more, smaller and more degraded dolmens. I had a good look around, but much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth.

Dolmen de Lauriol 3

Trip No.205  Entry No.109  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Nearby to the Grand dolmen de Lauriol are supposedly two more, smaller and more degraded dolmens. I had a good look around, but much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth.

Mousse Dolmen 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.110  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Taking the track further beyond the Grand dolmen de Lauriol, and after eight or nine hundred metres the first dolmen de Mousse is supposedly to be found, just to the left of the track. However, much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth. Two hundred metres further, to the right and 40 metres from the track is a second then third dolmen. I had no chance of finding these, although I did find the dry limestone chasm known as the Combe des Mortes, named as such because of the numbers of dolmens here ! Almost anything in this broken limestone landscape could have been a dolmen at some time in the past, but it is extremely difficult to find a way about here other than the trackway because of the vicious scrub growing over everything. After an hour or so vain searching about I decided I could spend no more time here finding nothing, and decided to return to the van and move on.

Statue menhir des Fontanelles

Trip No.205  Entry No.116  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: This statue-menhir is supposed to be found in the garden of the mill beside the river in the delightful village of Fraisse-sur-Agout. I take a walk all along the river, and there are two possibilities for the mill, but I could find nothing resembling a statue-menhir. There is a lovely little park by the river, with water machines and explanatory notices, lovely gardens, and a camping car spot nearby. Lovely.

Dolmen des Lacs 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.111  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: From the intriguing and lovely little historic village of Minerve, take the D.147 road to the northwest, passing over the bridge and past the big car parks. The dolmens are signposted from here. The road zig-zags up the hillside for a kilometre or two and then levels out a bit. Continue for three or four kilometres, past the water reservoir, and eventually you will find a dirt track on the left, with a large stone with the word dolmens painted on it. Park somewhere, then follow this track on foot for a couple of hundred metres. About 100 metres before the track splits, to find this dolmen go into the scrubland to the right for about 60 metres, where the remains of the dolmen can be found, quite well hidden behind some little oak trees.

What remains is a fairly large round mound of stones, about 20 metres in diameter, with some evidence of an encircling peristalith of radial facing stones. The chamber in the middle is about 4 metres long by 2 metres wide, facing southeast at 155°, and has most of the side and back slabs still in place, but broken. The capstone is still here, but pushed off to the side, and the largest western side slab possibly had a nice hole in it. Unfortunately, this dolmen is all crumbling away and getting a bit overgrown.

Dolmen des Lacs 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.112  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: From the intriguing and lovely little historic village of Minerve, take the D.147 road to the northwest, passing over the bridge and past the big car parks. The dolmens are signposted from here. The road zig-zags up the hillside for a kilometre or two and then levels out a bit. Continue for three or four kilometres, past the water reservoir, and eventually you will find a dirt track on the left, with a large stone with the word dolmens painted on it. Park somewhere, then follow this track on foot for a couple of hundred metres.

The track then splits, take the right track upwards for about three hundred more hundred metres, where to the left of the path the remains of this dolmen are visible. It sits in a mound of loose stone, about 18 metres in diameter, with some raised larger stones, set radially to the chamber, forming a partial circle around it near to the edge. The dolmen is in the centre, with a single capstone sat on top of a large back stone, and several side stones. The chamber is high enough to stand in, and about 4 m long by 2 m wide. Beyond this is an entry passageway, making a total length of about 7 metres, lined with slabs at its sides, and opening to the southeast on 165°.

The views from up here, over the plain of the Aude river are spectacular. I would imagine that on a clear day, the Mediterranean sea and the sacred mountain of Canigou are clearly visible.

Dolmen des Lacs 3

Trip No.205  Entry No.113  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: From the intriguing and lovely little historic village of Minerve, take the D.147 road to the northwest, passing over the bridge and past the big car parks. The dolmens are signposted from here. The road zig-zags up the hillside for a kilometre or two and then levels out a bit. Continue for three or four kilometres, past the water reservoir, and eventually you will find a dirt track on the left, with a large stone with the word dolmens painted on it. Park somewhere, then follow this track on foot for a couple of hundred metres. The track then splits, take the right track upwards for a about four hundred metres, passing dolmen 2 on the left, and about a hundred metres further, after crossing a little ravine, you will find dolmen number 3.

It is smaller than dolmen 2, with a single capstone sat on top of two side slabs and a backstone, forming a chamber 2 metres long by 1,5 metres in width, again open to the southeast at 145°. The dolmen sits within a round mass of stones, but has no discernible entry passageway or encircling ring of stones. Dolmens 2 and 3 can be seen from each other. There are possibly the remains of several more wrecked dolmens within this area.

Moulin-de-Louat 1 statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.130  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This wonderful chap is stood looking out of his garden shed towards the stream, at the entry to the hamlet of Moulin-de-Louat, just over half a kilometre from Moulin-Mage. I gave up trying to get the van along the roads to the hamlet, and walked from Moulin-Mage.

The stone is about 1.5 metres tall, and made from a very pink coloured rock. This chap has all the decorations and more that a statue-menhir should have, as it has both male and female attributes. The markings are very clear, and can easily be made out. The face has eyes, nose and tattous, with what also looks like hair to the sides. He has arms with fingers, an axe and bow, a belt with chevrons and buckle (which goes all the way round the back) and legs with toes. However, it also has breasts, probably added later, and the "hair" is probably the necklaces of the female. Round the back, not only is there the belt, but the long hat and shoulder things can be seen. This is really superb.

Just nearby, for company, is another nice stone, of about the same size, but a greyish black rock. I am unsure whether this is an ancient menhir or just a modern addition. It's a nice stone though, and probably keeps our man company.

Pailhemalbiau statue menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.133  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Coming from Plos, this fine fellow stands in a little shed protecting him from the worst of the weather, just inside the yard of the first farmhouse on the right. Like the Moulin-de-Louat statue-menhir it's a lovely piece of reddish pink stone, and was only discovered in 1981.

He stands 2 metres tall, and all his features can be clearly made out, both front and back. He has two rings for eyes, but no nose or tattous on his face. Arms and hands are clear, as is his "Objet" on its shoulder strap. His belt has a nice buckle, and his legs have all their toes clearly in place. He carries a weapon identified as a boomerang on the information sheet I have. The belt and shoulder strap continue round the back, and he has the full long hat or plait. This really is an excellent statue menhir, although it is difficult to photograph decently.

Pech-de-Naudène statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.126  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Turn off the D.622 Lacaune to Moulin-Mage road to the left, about a kilometre after the big Peyro-Lebado chap, and proceed to the hamlet of Haute-Vergne. Go through the farmyard to the top, then left and right, and the statue-menhir can be seen in the front garden of one of the houses. At the time of my visit, it was standing nicely at the back of where a caravan is kept. The people here were happy enough for me to visit and take a photograph, but the farm dogs didn't seem to like my being there, so I didn't hang around long. The stone is only 1.3 metres high, but is clearly engraved as a male chappy, with face (eyes, nose and tattous), arms, belt and legs well visible. The back has its detail too, but I didn't see these.

Barraque-des-Fourniols statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.119  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This statue-menhir is now to be found at the entrance to the car park at the Rieu-Montagné Musée des Traditions, beside the Lac du Lauzas, near to Nages. It is about 1.4 metres high, and it is well shaped, but any engravings are extremely faint, to the point of being invisible to me.

Favarels statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.134  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: The real statue menhir has been taken inside the museum at Murat, but a replica has been made and put in the place of the real one outside the information office. Its only about a metre tall, but has all the right features, face with tattous, arms with fingers, legs with toes, belt with buckle and shoulder straps with "Objet". He also carries an axe. I don't quite know where the museum is where the real one has now been put, and it would be closed at this time in the evening anyway.

Plos statue menhir 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.132  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Probably once a statue-menhir, this is not classed as such as no discernible features can be seen engraved on it. That’s what several thousands of years of weather does for you. The menhir is the right shape, just over 2 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide. Its to be found beside the road, just to the south of the hamlet of Plos.

Rieu-Montagné museum

Trip No.205  Entry No.122  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 5

Log Text: This museum is in a glorious little spot in the woods beside the Lac du Lauzas, to the south of Nages. It is linked with a leisure centre with a park and beach, and all sorts of activities to do. As part of the museum, there are several statue menhirs included, some in the grounds outside the building.

Trédos menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.120  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: About 30 metres from the Barraque-des-Fourniols statue-menhir, up the entry path towards the museum, is planted this menhir. Obviously broken in the past, it has been put back together from several pieces with the aid of concrete. It has been quite nicely done. It is about 1.6 metres high.

Granisse statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.123  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Found while building a road in 1969, this lovely statue-menhir has been saved and erected outside the tourist office in the town of Lacaune. Unfortunately, it is kept within a north facing glass case, so getting photographs is nigh on impossible in the strong sunlight, with reflections of everything obscuring things. It is about 1.4 metres tall, and the main features of a female statue-menhir can clearly be seen. She has legs, belt, arms, breasts, collar and face. Lovely.

Trou-de-l'Avent menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.124  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Once standing about 4 metres tall near to the Pierre Plantée de Lacaune, this menhir was broken up for use in building a mill and farm. The top 1.5 metres has now been rescued and installed in the Place de Griffoul in Lacaune town centre, just 100 metres behind the tourist office.

What a menhir this once would have been. In this pleasant little square are several other notable features, such as the 14th century laundry basins, and the 16th century Fontaine des Pisseurs, which was made to glorify the Dieuretic effect of the local waters !

Nages menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.138  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Right outside the back of the church in Nages can be found this little menhir, planted in a little flower bed. It is about 1.4 metres tall and 0.6 metres wide, and made out of a nice dark grey, almost black stone. The front face is very smooth, but it is rough on all other sides.