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.

Pierre Plantée de Lacaune

Trip No.205  Entry No.125  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 5 Access 4

Log Text: A couple of kilometres to the east of Lacaune, along the D.622 road to Moulin-Mage, park just over the Col de la Croix-de-Deux-Sous, just after the big warehouse. Its then a short walk to this masculine statue-menhir, the largest in Europe, standing in a nice green field looking out towards the mountains.

This would be a beautiful stone even without the engravings, a lovely sparkly granite 3.5 metres tall, 2 metres wide and just 40 cm thick It has a lovely smoothed shape, and has got beautiful lichens growing on it. Unfortunately, these lichens and its sunny south facing position serve to obscure the details of the fine chap of whom this is a statue of. In the mid-day sun, while I was here, it was hard to make out the details, but his two legs, belt and "objet" could be seen, and perhaps his two arms. But these wont show in any of my photos. This is a beautiful spot indeed, but perhaps this fellow would be better preserved indoors ?

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 !

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.

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.

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.

Col-de-la-Bole menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.118  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Driving west along the D.14 road towards Le Salvetat, in a rush to get diesel and washing done, I saw a sign to menhir Col-de-la-Bole, so of course I just had to go and have a look. At the top of a steep track is the broken off top of a statue-menhir, only about 0.75 metres of it, with its back having had a bishops cross carved into it. I saw no carvings on the front, although supposedly there are some, but I was in a bit of a rush.

Statue menhir de Cambayssy

Trip No.205  Entry No.117  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: Traveling along the D.14 road west from Fraisse-sur-Agout towards Le Salvetat, take the right turn after a couple of kilometres towards Cambayssy. The menhir is signposted (Le Pioch), and is a kilometre or so up a steep winding lane.

In some woods, this gorgeous statue-menhir can be found beside the lane, and is about 1.3 metres tall, and beautifully shaped. And at last, I have found a statue-menhir where some of his features can be clearly seen. Belt, legs, shoulder strap "objet" and knife, and his arms coming down diagonally from his shoulders. There are maybe a couple of eyes, but I cant see much of a head though.

Statue menhir de La Pomarède

Trip No.205  Entry No.115  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Right outside the tourist office at Fraisse-sur-Agout, next to a wall behind a big tree display thing, is the top 90 cm of this statue menhir which must have once been 2 metres tall. It is very difficult to make out any markings, with it being in dark shadow and very moss covered. I am starting to think that museums are the best places for viewing these statue-menhirs.

Statue menhir de Picarel

Trip No.205  Entry No.114  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Going north along the D.169 road from the Col de la Bane to the south of Fraisse-sur-Agout, and at a large corner in the road is a little lane to the west signed to Haut Picarel. About 300 metres down this track, and into a wood, you will find the menhir beside the trackway.

This finely shaped menhir stands over 2 metres tall, and looks out down the valley to the southwest. The only obvious markings and carvings on the stone are relatively modern, a deep cut halfway up, and some circles in the upper part. The original statue-menhir carvings have become so faint as to be almost invisible these days, although 180 years ago, when this chap was first discovered, they were clear enough. With a lot of will power, I was able to make out its belt around the back, but nothing else, although the stone itself is very obviously shaped into the right form. It was very difficult to photograph, with the strong sunlight coming thought the trees creating dappled shadows on the stone.

Where I was parked up here, there was a lady sat in a field reading, with several dogs, in amongst a large flock of sheep and goats. I assume she was the shepherdess, as the dogs were not at all concerned, nor were the sheep.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

Morrel das Fadas

Trip No.205  Entry No.106  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Visited again to get some pictures in the bright morning sun, although the sun doesn’t make it through the trees.

Morrel das Fadas

Trip No.205  Entry No.104  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Although within the commune of Pépieux, this tremendous dolmen is actually nearer and easier to find from the village of Siran, from where you take the D.12 road east for a kilometre or so, and the mound is on the right, on top of a large natural pine covered hill amongst the vines. It is all rather obvious, and has a little parking area and signpost.

By far the biggest dolmen structure in the south of France, I cannot say how much of the hillock it is built on is natural, and how much is its tumulus, but nevertheless, it is a big structure. The chamber itself is 24 metres in length and up to 4 metres wide, aligned towards the southeast at 145°. This chamber is divided into three sections by lovely partitioned portal stones. The back section is rectangular, 4.5 metres long and 4 metres wide. The marvellous central section is 6.5 metres long, with massive side slab walls 2,5 metres high, which carry the single remaining large capstone (about 5m by 3.5m) well above head height.

Unfortunately the portal stones each side of this central chamber are broken, but enough remains to get a good feel for what was once here, as one of the stones of the southeastern portal is almost complete. The 13 metres of entranceway is made with alternating slabs and dry stone walling, and narrows down to about 2 metres wide at the entrance. This really is a fantastic place to visit, but difficult to photograph because of its size and all the surrounding trees.

Allée Couverte de Saint-Eugène

Trip No.205  Entry No.103  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I have now twice found this only by luck. This time I took a wrong turning (one road too soon) and ended up on a stone track across private land where I could not turn round to go back out, and then I saw a little sign to dolmen, up the hillside I remember. I managed to park the van in a wider part of the track about 500 metres away, and went back on foot to look for the site. Quite how one is meant to get here properly, I do not know !

Up on top of a pine covered hill is an open flattish area, upon which is built this lovely tomb. It has all been much restored, so quite how much is original I do not know. The first thing you see is a circular stone wall containing a stone cairn, about a metre high and about 25 metres in diameter, with upright slabs every 5 metres or so around its circumference. Within this is the remains of a massive structure, and a partitioned chamber. The main chamber is 15 metres long, lined with large slabs, and opens to the southeast at 155°. At the back end it is 4 metres wide, and 5.5 m from the end is the remnants of a stone partition within which the remains of portal entranceway can be seen. The next section is 6 metres long, tapering to 2.5 metres wide, up to the remains of another partition with entranceway. This leaves just 3 metres of tapering corridor to the entrance in the circular wall, just 1 metre in width. Unfortunately there are no cover stones, and the entrance portals are very damaged, to the extent of being almost non existant. In the stone mound there can be seen the remains of two further intermediate circling walls, the first a U shape around the chamber, and the second a concentric circle within the outside wall.

Tombeau de Roland

Trip No.205  Entry No.101  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Just up the hillside a bit from Dolmen de La Jagartière can be found the Tombeau de Roland. Once thought to be a megalithic tomb, the latest thoughts are that it is nothing more than a place from where a large rock has been quarried. But quite why somebody would come to such a place, far away from any buildings up a hillside, which has several other tombs nearby, I do not know. Surely a source of rock more convenient could have been found.