Larcuste cairns 2

Trip No.204  Entry No.44  Date Added: 8th Jul 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Cairn 2 is a slightly bigger mound, with only a single eastern facing entrance. From this entrance, the passageway continues for about 10 metres into the cairn, and from which 6 chambers open out onto the sides. Each chamber is topped with a capstone, 4 of which remain today. Most of the walling is made with dry stones, very few large slabs are in place. Some of these chambers are quite round, while others look sort of squareish, and all are about 1 to 1.5 metres in dimension.

Larcuste cairns 1

Trip No.204  Entry No.43  Date Added: 8th Jul 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Cairn 1, the northern of the two, contains two dolmens with entry passageways, which both open to the east. The chambers are made up of alternating slabs and drystone walling. Only the northern chamber has its capstone in place, along with one of its passageway covers.

If the reconstruction is accurate, then it looks to me as if this was built in two stages, the southern single dolmen built first in a smaller cairn, with the northern chamber being added at a later dateto the outside of the original cairn. Each chamber is about 3 metres by 2.5 metres, with a 3 to 4 metre long entry passageway.

I have read that there are some very faint engravings and carvings of crooks and serpents on a few of the large stones inside this cairn 1.

Larcuste Cairns

Trip No.204  Entry No.42  Date Added: 8th Jul 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: The remains of these chambered cairns are easily found by following the plentiful roadsigns a couple of kilometres to the south of Colpo. This well known and important site occupies a hilltop position in open countryside, but has a large area set aside around it. What it consists of these days are the remains of two cairns, but once there were several more lined up with them. Looking around, a bit further to the south on the top of the hill it is easy to imagine there being another large cairn or two, with undulations in the ploughed fields suggesting their position.

The two cairns we have today are largely made up of dry stones, and sit beside one another, with their eastern entrances aligned with one another. The site has been dated to about 4000 BC. Both of the cairns have had major restoration work carried out on them after excavations in 1968 to 1972, and its a shame to report that, although lots of concrete and cement has been used to hold them together, much of this work is now falling apart. I guess its due to the number of visitors this place must get, but its in need of further work to prevent deterioration. This is what prevents me giving a 5 for the condition of the place.

I have since read that there were indeed once 4 cairns here originally, the other two of which have been completely ploughed out. I have also read that there are some very faint engravings and carvings of crooks and serpents on a few of the large stones inside cairn 1.

Dolmen dit Lannek-er-Men

Trip No.203  Entry No.327  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 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a little dolmen sat on a green area outside a very pretty house. It has a little oval chamber, 3 metres by 2 metres, with an entrance to the east where there was perhaps once an entrance passageway. The two capstones sit on several side slabs, and the floor is paved with large stones also, but it is only about half a metre in height.

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.

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.

Dolmen de Rosnual

Trip No.203  Entry No.388  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: A couple of kilometres north of Carnac along the D119 road, turn right towards Rosnual. Just beyond the campsite of the same name, go left up a farm track as the lane goes to the right. After about 50 metres, just beyond the first field wall on the left is the dolmen. You wouldn’t know it though, as its completely overgrown and used as a farmyard dump. I cant say a thing about the dolmen other than it is under there somewhere. There are traces of a mound, and perhaps a circle of stones surrounding it.

Fontaine St Michel

Trip No.203  Entry No.412  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Following the path round the back of the tumulus looking to get a good photograph there was a sign to Fontaine St Michel which I followed. After a few hundred metres there is a nice little well with a little well house and offerings area above a clear pool of water slowly bubbling up from the ground.

I have no doubt that this spring has been here for thousands of years and indeed quenched the thirst of the men building the tumulus. And this turned out to be site 500 in my French stonehunting trip catalogue of site visits. Incredible really that I am seeing hundreds of dolmens and menhirs yet a well gets to be site 500. Probably only my third well !

Runesto Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.393  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a pleasant dolmen still mostly within its mound, and in fact it has been cut down into with steps from the eastern side of the massive capstone. The chamber is about 3 metres by 3 metres, and the single capstone is held up on eight remaining side support stones, with plenty of room to stand up within. There are no longer any remains of its entry passageway which would have run off towards the east.

There are traces of engravings including a fairly good axe on the stone nearest to the entrance. Just outside to the east are two other large stones, which are perhaps related, but perhaps not. The wall of the nearby house has many large stones within it, no doubt being once part of the tumulus.

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.

Goërem Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.445  Date Added: 23rd May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 16th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I came all the way out to this poor depressed village at the end of a long peninsula and stayed the night on the harbourside in order to visit this, "the finest angled passage grave in existance". Take a good torch it says. So on a nasty dull grey day I walk round the seafront and through the village till I eventually find it. It is right on the western seafront, in amongst the houses, and has a reasonable amount of land reserved around it. It would probably have a spectacular view if there was one to be seen through all the murk.

Its not a very big mound, just a big enough barrow to cover the passage grave, which is about 20 metres by 10 metres, and up to 3 metres in height maximum, perhaps more originally as the modern ground level is probably higher than it was, particularly with the sea wall here. The entrance is on the south side, but it's gated up, with an iron gate concreted in to the ground, so despite having two torches, I cannot enter and put them to use. But I have to say, that it's no doubt for the best, as the place is littered with broken bottles and other rubbish, with graffitti sprayed everywhere, and badly smelling of a toilet block. This poor little town is clearly suffering from a lack of jobs and investment, and seems to have a bit of a problem with bored youth compared to much of the rest of France. Its a great shame, as I was really looking forward to seeing this place properly. I would like to think that the excellent state of the internal structure is still as it was a few years ago, and that the engraved pillars of the passageway are still in good condition.

Grand Breuil Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.24  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir is easily found at Grand Breuil, right at the junction of the D.112 and the road for Lezonnais. The stone is about 3 metres tall, and in a little grassy area beside the road junction. It looks to have been nicely shaped, and is cared for to this day. There is a very nice garden on the opposite side of the road, all landscaped and with little megalithic creations in it.

Grande Villeneuve Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.26  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir is to be found in a garden in the hamlet of the same name, a kilometre or so to the north of Tredion. The menhir is about 4 metres tall and nicely shaped, although it looks to have lost its top at some point, due to a lightning strike.

Kercado Tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.387  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Fantastic. This is getting a bit eroded away now, and I think it needs some better protection from all the visitors it gets. The monument consists of a 25 metre diameter round cairn, completely enclosing a wonderful dolmen chamber which is about 3 metres by 2.5 metres, and 2.3 metres high, which is entered via a passageway which opens up from the east. The chamber is covered by a single large capstone, which does not rest directly on top of the sideslabs, but is raised above them by corbelled smaller stones, making it look like it is floating above the chamber. There are carvings on several side stones with chequerboard patterns, and a large carving of an axe on the roof.

On top of the mound is a menhir, and around the outside of the mound is a circle of stones, about 5 metres extra distance away from the mound, of which less than half now exist. A bit further away from the entrance is another menhir, about 1.5 metres tall.

This must be just about the most complete dolmenic chamber there is to be seen in the world today, and is a fantastic place to visit when quiet. It is €1 entry fee, payable into an honesty box in quiet times at the entrance shelter by the pizzeria. I met the Brazilian ladies again here, and also a retired Irish couple who were travelling for a few months in their camper van.

Kornevec Alignement

Trip No.204  Entry No.61  Date Added: 11th Jul 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This alignement can be found just to the south of Loge Charlotte, and is signposted. The alignement is a row of menhirs, now nearly all fallen, which runs for about 300 metres through the forest on a bearing of 065°. The stones are all about 3 metres in length, and are spaced at about 4 metre intervals.

Over 200 stones have been found here. It would be nice to see these stood up again, at least the non broken ones, and also a bit better looked after, as it is all very overgrown. The site is not helped by there being new trees planted in amongst the stones.

Kerlutu Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.443  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 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice little dolmen sitting in a little mound in some fields just round the back of the houses, and a hundred or so metres walk. It's got a 3m by 2.5m chamber, partially made with slabs, partly with drystone walling. It is fully covered by its capstone, and there is no sign of an entrance corridor. This dolmen seems to be kept nicely clear of all undergrowth.

Bilgroix Point Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.335  Date Added: 4th May 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: Right on the tip of the northern headland at the eastern entrance to the Golfe de Morbiihan, is a nice little parkland area. Within this is a nice modern menhir which has been carved into Mama Mari, the lady of the sea. It is most convincing, and it is nice to sit here watching all the boats nipping about with some tremendous overfalls as the tide rushes into the gulf. There is somebody arsing around out there, reversing a yacht out through all the current and waves, which is confusing many people, and there is lots of shouting going on. I could sit here and watch the world go by for hours, but I'd best move on.

Tumiac tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.329  Date Added: 4th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: As driving towards this from the east, it suddenly appears from behind something, before you arrive at the parking area and information sign beside the road. Whoooa, it’s a biggun ! It is said in legend that it is the place from where Caesar watched a great naval battle out to sea to the south of here, but there is not expected to be any truth in this, although from the top there is a tremendous view all around.

The mound is 86 metres in diameter and 20 metres in height, but it only has a single 4 metre by 2 metre magalithic chamber within it, which has been dated to 4700 BC. The insides of the monument are no longer open to public viewing.

Dolmen du Grah-Niol

Trip No.203  Entry No.330  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 3 Access 5

Log Text: This initially looks to be an allée-couverte type monument, but which has been dated to about 5000BC, so is much older than a standard allée-couverte. It is still largely within its mound, but was restored in 1936 with the help of lots of concrete.

It is about 11 metres long, and has a stele placed outside of it near to the entrance which is at the east. There is a large end chamber at the west, and also a side chamber. Many of the upright stones have carvings and markings on them, Axes, Palettes, U shapes and squiggles, some of which were clear in the sunlight coming in through a hole in the roof. It seems that many of the stones are supposedly re used from elsewhere, and perhaps the large capstone on the side chamber was once a menhir.

Menhir Fourchu

Trip No.204  Entry No.25  Date Added: 6th Jul 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 11th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nice menhir stood at the side of the road just to the east of Lezonnais. It is about 3.5 metres tall, 1.5 metres wide and only 0.3 metres thick, and has a nicely forked shape at the top, hence its name, and a sort of nose on one side. Around this area are many stones stood up beside the road, in gardens etc, of which I assume are mostly modern and field clearance, otherwise I would have known about them, but perhaps they are the remains of something once much more significant.