Pierre Tourneresse, Cairon

Trip No.202  Entry No.5  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I wasn’t expecting to find much here if anything at all as all the information I had of this site was a menhir symbol on my ign map. But as I was passing I decided to have a look anyway and luckily stopped to look at my map right by a little road at the east of the southern end of the village with a sign to “Pierre Tourneresse”. So I followed it down to the end of a little modern housing estate and parked. A further signpost at the end of the road points to Pierre Tourneresse 300 metres distant. Turn left here and stick to the back of the houses rather than go straight on up the hill.

What a lovely site this is. In a little dip down near the stream is a newly made and signposted enclosure which at the time of my visit was still under construction with a ring of trees being planted well around the outside of it. Inside the enclosure is the remains of a large approximately round cairn which has a diameter of about 19 metres and is edged all around with dry stone walling within which are two chambers.

The main chamber is large stone lined chamber in approximately the middle of the cairn which has a seven metre long entrance passage which exits to the east of the cairn at a bearing of 100° magnetic. The chamber is approximately rectangular dimensions about 4 to 5 metres in length by 3 metres in width and is made with large upright slabs with drystone walling between. At various positions around this large chamber there seem to be smaller alcoves or features. The second much smaller chamber opens to the west side and is positioned approximately opposite to the main chamber entrance with an alignment of 269°. It is about 3.5 metres long and opens up to about 2 metres in width at its maximum. It is made with drystone walling only and has a ledge of some sort along its northern side.

Outside the cairn at a distance of about 15 metres in a northwesterly direction are two very large stones. I wondered whether these were once menhirs which marked the position of the cairn (these northern French cairns are often associated with menhirs) and which would explain the marking of menhir on the ign maps. Looking at these stones more closely however suggested that it is much too wide to have been a menhir so I wondered whether the stones were the remains of the chamber capstone. I spent quite a lot of time here the place seemed to give off a nice happy atmosphere which was probably helped by the fact that for once one of these much neglected ancient Normandy monuments is being lovingly cared for and looked after what was probably many years of neglect.

As I was leaving I met a man walking his dog and asked if he knew anything about the site. By an amazing stroke of luck I had met one of the few people in France who has an interest in these ancient sites and who collects flint artefacts ! Despite the language problems we talked for about half an hour about things. He told me that the cairn had been much more complete up until the war during which the Germans had used it as a shelter and gun emplacement. As they were leaving after the D-Day invasion they went about destroying it and the two large stones are indeed the remains of the capstone to the main chamber. He also told me that an excavation of the site was done 5 years ago and the restoration has been going on since then.

We got on to discussing other sites in the region and other than the various sites I knew about (he was surprised indeed to find an Englishman who knew anything about any of these places and seemed very interested when I told him I intended to write a book) and he told me of a menhir nearby he knew which was destroyed only a couple of years ago by a farmer who didn’t want it in the middle of one of his fields. He also showed me on my map a couple of places where he goes to find flint items one of which he called a quarry. He said that if I went to one of these places he showed me then if the fields were recently ploughed I would almost certainly find some worked flint items and that he had a collection of over 700 items. He also then told me in detail how to find the two polisher stones near Mont Joly which was of great interest as I would probably not have even looked if I had no detailed information to go on. It was very nice to meet a man like this particularly on my first real day of French stonehunting and it made me think that the whole trip is going to go well.

Menhir de la Demoiselle de Bracqueville

Trip No.206  Entry No.5  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2006. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Found this at last, on probably my third attempt. Find your way from Beny-sur-Mer to the south along small tracks to Bracqueville farm. Park near to the farm, and walk about 500 metres along the track which passes in front of the farm till you get to a junction of trackways. Take the grassy track to the left, and the menhir is a further 500 metres along and just into the field on the left.

Its about 1.4 metres tall, 0.7 metres wide and 0.3 metres thick, and leaning towards the north. The farmer has left very little room around it, and it has some very recent scrapes and damage done to it, no doubt from farm machinery. It is likely that this menhir often gets obscured by crops in the summer. Nice to have found it, its a nice stone. Stupidly I forgot to take my gps with me to get a proper position.

Menhir dit Pierre Debout (Reviers)

Trip No.206  Entry No.6  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2006. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: As I am right here and passing by, thought I may as well stop and take a look in the daylight. The crops in the field are growing, or more likely its been left fallow, but the ploughs have been right up to the stone and its fairly difficult to spot, even with this small growth. The poor stone is in a very sorry state, and could do with some TLC. Shame its so woefully looked after, so close to the well maintained large barrow.

Colombiers-sur-Seulles tumulus

Trip No.202  Entry No.2  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: A long barrow which has been excavated and destroyed several times in the past but which has recently been restored to some form of its former glory by local enthusiasts. It is situated about half a kilometre east of the village just beyond the menhir signposted in a little copsed area just south of the road.

The barrow is about 50 metres in length and about 9 metres in width at the narrow west end and 18 metres width at the wide eastern end with an orientation of 280°. It is about 5 metres in height at its maximum and has several drystone walled sections running around it. In the middle of the mound is a little circular burial chamber about 2.5 metres in diameter with its entrance chamber running from the north side at an orientation of 010°. The chamber is made using 6 large upright stones with drystone walling between them but how much is now original is not known. The view along the entrance chamber does not see over the local horizon which is just a hundred metres or so distant. At the smaller western end there is a pair of large upright stones set into the external wall and as far as I can find once formed the entrance to another smaller burial chamber.

This is obviously now a well looked after and cared for monument set within a fenced off area using rustic fencing and also within the area are a mock up of an ancient oven and some hearths. with drystone walling between them but how much is now original is not known.

Menhir des Demoiselles (Colombiers-sur-Seulles)

Trip No.202  Entry No.1  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Just over 2 metres in height this menhir is set in its own little grassy area beside the road junction just uphill to the east of the village. It is a square pillar with several holes and indentations and has been broken in the past at both top and bottom (probably during the war) and is now remounted on a concrete post.

While I was here it was sunny between the clouds there was a bike race going on past the stone and an old warplane flying above which all added to a nice French rural scene

Pierre Dialan

Trip No.201  Entry No.5  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 21st Nov 2004

Log Text: To the south of the village of Jurques the D.577 road curves its way up and over a forested ridge. At the top of this hill to the east of the road is a small picnic site and a signpost to La Pierre Dialan dolmen, highlighted as a tourist place on the IGN maps. Walk about 500 metres along the track through the forest and on the right, just before the woods end, about 40 metres from the path can be seen a pile of large stones, now becoming closely surrounded by a very large gravel quarry cutting its way into the hillside.

Unfortunately I cannot be 100% sure that this is the actual Dolmen, as on the day of my visit, in pouring rain, there was a hunt going on, with many men out with their dogs, rifles and horns. Although the huntsmen would let me walk down the forest track, I was warned not to stray from the path, unless I wanted to be shot, so I couldn’t get to see the Pierre Dialan properly !

It was disappointing to not get to see the stones, but an interesting wet afternoon in the forest nonetheless, which caused much amusement telling the story to my waiting sister and nephew in the car at the picnic site. I have since found some information which says that this is possibly a natural rock outcrop.

Autel des Druides des Moitiers d'Allonne

Trip No.201  Entry No.19  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the east of Moitiers d'Allonne, just a few miles northeast of Barneville-Carteret, can be found “Autel des Druides des Moitiers d'Allonne”, also known as the Allée Couverte de Grand Breuil. Situated near the top of a hill along a small road north of the D.902, this monument can be found signposted down a farm trackway, but finding anywhere to park in the vicinity was not easy. It is also signposted from the village of Les Moitiers d'Allonne.

Approximately 20 metres in length, and on a north – south axis, this Allée Couverte was rebuilt in the 1960’s after having been partially buried and used as a cattle shelter. The width between the two rows of stones is about 1.5 to 2 metres, and there are at least 6 capstones in place with a height of about 1.5 metres underneath. When I was there, the Northern half of the Allée was clear of vegetation and open to get inside, while the southern half was in a very overgrown state. The surrounding field had been ploughed right up to the edges of the monument, and in some places at the south end damage had occurred.

Pierre au Rey

Trip No.201  Entry No.18  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Perched high on the cliff top near Cap de Flamanville can be found this strange antiquity, situated in the small garden behind a café, right on the cliff edge. Easily found to the west of Flamanville, just follow signs to “Semaphore” and where the road runs out there is a car park and picnic site as well as the café.

It consists of four large rounded rocks, and doesn’t look like any other dolmen I have ever seen. At first, the rocks look like natural big rounded pebbles, in some kind of pile, but how did they get there like that ? Closer inspection reveals several other stones on the landward side, obviously placed in their position, which would have at one point formed some kind of entranceway to the main chamber, which consists of three large rocks forming a triangular shape, with the fourth rock balanced on top.

A couple of the large rocks have carvings on them, including a human form on the top boulder, but it is unknown as to whether these carvings are ancient or from more modern times, when it was used as a lookout point by the customs men. Some theories suggest that this is not a dolmen in the usual sense of the word, but some kind of ancient seagoing navigational mark.

There were in years gone past, other megalithic monuments in this area, in the form of large menhirs now destroyed, but of which the names and records survive. One of these called La Pierre-aux-Serpents, was 9 metres in height, but was destroyed around 1725 during construction of the chateau. Another, to the southeast at Percaillerie, was 5 metres in height but destroyed in 1890. It is also thought that there may once have been another of these cliff top dolmens at Corb to the north, destroyed before 1880 and of which no trace remains today under the nuclear power station.

Fort Joret allée couverte

Trip No.201  Entry No.16  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In a field overlooking the sea, with splendid views over the rocky beach, can be found the remains of this very ruinous Allée Couverte. It is about 500 metres along the coast path to the southwest of Fort Joret, in the Commune de Fermanville, just a few miles east of Cherbourg.

Estimated to have originally been about 17 metres in length, it runs in a north to south direction. The northern part of the remains are very ruined, with only a few stones here and there laying on the ground. The southern part of the tomb is in much better, but still very ruined and overgrown condition, and difficult to get to see in detail. The width of this part is much greater than the northern part, of the order 2.5 metres, and several large slabs remain in position.

Pierre Plantée (Cosqueville)

Trip No.201  Entry No.15  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In a field to the south of the road running east out of Cosqueville can be seen this large menhir, 3 metres in height. It is possible to park nearby, and I walked round the edge of a field to get a nearer view of the stone which is in the middle of a field beside a quarry. It is a nicely shaped stone, looking to be wider at the top than the bottom, with a sort of nob on the top, and with grooves running down its sides, probably due to rain erosion.

La Haute Pierre (St-Pierre-Eglise)

Trip No.201  Entry No.14  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: In a field to the northeast of St-Pierre-Eglise can be seen this large menhir, almost 3 metres in height. It is probably possible to get to fairly nearby, but it would have meant walking through an absolute stinking swamp caused by cattle at the field gateway. So I satisfied myself with a long distance view from the higher road beside a small chapel, a distance of about 100 metres for my photograph.

La Longue Pierre (St-Pierre-Eglise)

Trip No.201  Entry No.13  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In a field beside a small lane to the north of St-Pierre-Eglise can be found this large menhir. It is signposted from the larger road running north towards Cosqueville, but I found nowhere to park up the small lane, so had to return to the larger road to park and then walk the few hundred metres back to the stone.

It is a very large stone, which stands at 4.2 metres high, perhaps the largest menhir remaining standing in Manche today. It is of roughly square section with an angled top. It is about 50 metres into a field beside the lane, and although many people had obviously been in to have a closer look, there was a sign requesting nobody enters the field, so I just looked from the gate.

Maupertus menhir

Trip No.201  Entry No.12  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Access 5

Log Text: On the main street through Maupertus-sur-Mer, just to the north of Cherbourg Airport is a large granite stone being used as a gatepost. The stone looks very weathered, and the edges are curved and worn, not straight or with any quarrying marks. It is also twice as high as it would need to be for the gatepost function it provides. Is this one of the many ancient menhirs that used to be in this area reused ?

Grande et Petite Pierre

Trip No.201  Entry No.11  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: In a grassy area on high ground at the northwest end of Cherbourg Maupertus airport can be found these two lovely and massive menhirs made of a sort of puddingstone slab. Originally these large menhirs were related to a large burial tumulus, but during the second world war this tumulus and the stones were flattened to make way for the airfield.

In fairly recent times, the two large stones have been recovered and re-erected just outside the perimeter of the airport for all to see and enjoy. La Grande Pierre stands at 4 metres in height, and is about 2 metres in width at the base tapering to a pointed top. La Petite Pierre is very rectangular in shape, and stands at about 2.5 to 3 metres tall, although it looks to me like the top has been broken off.

Bretteville Allée Couverte

Trip No.201  Entry No.10  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: To the southeast of Bretteville, just a few miles east of Cherbourg, can be found the Allée Couverte de Bretteville, also known as “La Sepulture a Entrée Laterale de Bretteville-en-Saire”. It is clearly signposted from the D.901 road, and has its own little field and car park.

About 16 metres in length, it runs in a NW - SE direction with internal width and height about a metre, and has seven capstones still in place. The entrance is to the side of the allée at the south near the southeast end, and this leads in to a lovely portal holed doorstone blocking off the major northern part of the chamber. The southeast end of the monument has several lateral slabs radiating outwards from the main structure.

A very nice monument to visit, but it’s a pity about the rubbish and graffiti from which it suffers.

Petite Roche allée couverte

Trip No.201  Entry No.7  Date Added: 25th Mar 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Nov 2004. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: In the woods around the village of Rocheville can be found the remains of three Allées Couverte, only one of which is marked on the IGN maps, which is known as the Allée Couverte de la Petite Roche. To the southeast of Rocheville is a wooded area known as Bois de la Grosse Roche, and in the southwest corner of this wood, almost right beside the lane, is found the Allée Couverte de la Petite Roche.

About 20 metres in length, it runs in an east west direction. The width between the stones, of which there would have been about 20 in each row, is between 1 and 1,5 metres, and the height is about the same. At the east end of the allée the end stone remains in place, while at the west end it is open, but with a large stone across the rows about 3 metres distant, possibly a removed roofstone. About 5 cover stones remain in position, in two groups, two near the east end, and the other three nearer to the west end. There are many other stones lying around in the wood, probably some parts of the monument.

Twyn-Yr-Oerfel A

Date Added: 22nd Mar 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The fourth and last cairn marked on the OS Map during a walk from the Sirhowy Country Park around the Cwmfelinfach valley, up the Sirhowy River and back along the Rhymney Ridgeway path.

A few hundred yards to the east of the previous barrow, this one is more ruined than that, but easily found and identified. It has a large pit dug into the top and a bench positioned on the top. The views from up here would be terriffic, but the whole area is not a great place to be with so many off road tracks all around making the whole area a mess of mud. The old mining tips don't help, so perhaps it is an improvement on a century ago.

Twyn-Yr-Oerfel B

Date Added: 22nd Mar 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The third cairn of four marked on the OS Map during a walk from the Sirhowy Country Park around the Cwmfelinfach valley, up the Sirhowy River and back along the Rhymney Ridgeway path.

Following the ridgeway track to the south and then east passing beween the large minimg tip and the forest along the stony track used by off road bikers, and the barrow is right in front of you as you descend into the open land. It was surrounded by many large blocks of stone to prevent the off road drivers driving over it, but this does not prevent the bikers.

While here there was the remains of a burnt out motorbike laying just beside it. The barrow is nicely formed apart from the tracks over it, and looked initially to have a large stone structure within, but I later read that it is built onto a natural rock outcrop, so this is probably part of it.

Twyn Cae-Hugh

Date Added: 22nd Mar 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The second cairn of four marked on the OS Map during a walk from the Sirhowy Country Park around the Cwmfelinfach valley, up the Sirhowy River and back along the Rhymney Ridgeway path.

This was an easily seen tumulus of fairly large size just to the east of the trackway and walled off from it, which has helped with its survival. We stopped here for lunch sheltered from the wind and in the sun.

Mynydd Bach Cairn 2

Date Added: 22nd Mar 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: First cairn of four marked on the OS Map during a walk from the Sirhowy Country Park around the Cwmfelinfach valley, up the Sirhowy River and back along the Rhymney Ridgeway path. Found the remains of this cairn fairly easily, making a circular patch of green grass amongst the gorse and other growth. It is not a great monument being very flattened and destroyed, and also the whole area is absolutely covered with rubbish of all sorts. The whole area is used by people for offroading and all sorts of other activities, some not so wholesome.