Pierre du Hu

Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Calvados (14))
Visited: Yes on 15th Nov 2011

Log Text: None

Pierre du Diable (Vitrac)

Trip No.203  Entry No.93  Date Added: 6th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 20th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: What I found here was a tiny little dolmen right beside the road which is being incorporated into a garden wall a few kilometres south of Sarlat-le-Caneda on top of a hill towards Vitrac. The capstone is not 2 metres by 2 metres and sits on a couple of stones both less than a foot in size. Its probable that there was more to this dolmen which is now under some trees and in the garden wall.

Pierre du Coq polissoir

Trip No.204  Entry No.315  Date Added: 12th Sep 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49)
Visited: Yes on 12th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: It's hard to know exactly what to make of this site. Marked on the maps as a menhir, there are actually two stones standing upright, and beside them a large flat slab, with a few other bits and pieces laying around. The larger of the two standing stones is 3 metres tall and slab form, 2 metres wide and 0.5 m thick. The second stone, 2 m from it, is 1.8 metres high and is basically a large upward pointed lump, rectangular in section. Directly in this line, about 3 metres distant, is a large slab, 6m by 4m. This is possibly just naturally there, but it wouldnt surprise me if it was once the capstone of a dolmen - there are other stones around it which could have been supports.

One thing is for sure, and that is it is a polissoir stone, it has several grooves and a couple of basins in its southern top edge. These stones are fairly easily found, about 500 metres down a forest track into the Baugé forest, reached from a parking area near to a farm called Les Rochelettes, just to the northeast of the village of Echemire.

Pierre du Coq et la Poule

Trip No.204  Entry No.314  Date Added: 12th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49)
Visited: Yes on 12th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: It's hard to know exactly what to make of this site. Marked on the maps as a menhir, there are actually two stones standing upright, and beside them a large flat slab, with a few other bits and pieces laying around.

The larger of the two standing stones is 3 metres tall and slab form, 2 metres wide and 0.5 m thick. The second stone, 2 m from it, is 1.8 metres high and is basically a large upward pointed lump, rectangular in section. Directly in this line, about 3 metres distant, is a large slab, 6m by 4m. This is possibly just naturally there, but it wouldnt surprise me if it was once the capstone of a dolmen - there are other stones around it which could have been supports. One thing is for sure, and that is it is a polissoir stone, it has several grooves and a couple of basins in its southern top edge.

These stones are fairly easily found, about 500 metres down a forest track into the Baugé forest, reached from a parking area near to a farm called Les Rochelettes, just to the northeast of the village of Echemire.

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.

Pierre des Trois Communes

Trip No.205  Entry No.227  Date Added: 6th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Take the D.35 road east from the Col de Montmirat for about 4 kilometres, and there is a parking area and signs to menhirs. Walk up the track a few hundred metres and you get to the Pierre des Trois Communes. It stands two and a half metres tall, and has views all around. In the past it has been attempted to cut up the stone by quarrymen, and still has the scars. It is a shame, but the area of ground around it is very badly worn with vehicle marks everywhere.

As I was passing this stone again on the way back from les Trois Pierres de Chabusse, in a rush to beat the thunderstorm back to the campervan, there was an amazing moment. I turned and patted the stone, and at the exact moment I touched it, there was a massive flash of lightning behind the stone. This was very spooky at the time.

Pierre des Quatre Curés

Trip No.204  Entry No.182  Date Added: 10th Jul 2024
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Auvergne:Puy-de-Dôme (63))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This crystalline basalt menhir has served as a boundary stone between four parishes since the middle ages, hence it's name. It's not much more than 2 metres high, and looks like it has been mended from broken at some point, but I cant be sure. I was hoping for a bit more from this. On the map it looks spectacularly positioned overlooking the Sancy mountains one way, and the valley of the river Dordogne the other. In practice, it really only overlooks the fields around it. It can be found a couple of fields to the south of the busy D.922 road, with a track and footpath almost right to it, and there is room to park.

Pierre des Justices

Trip No.203  Entry No.81  Date Added: 6th Apr 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Couldn't find on 19th May 2005

Log Text: Just off the main road from Perigueux to Les-Eyzies at the junction of the D32 west to Mauzens-et-Miremont is a little picnic and parking area. If you then follow this road west under the splendid railway viaduct after a few hundred metres pass the lavoir then take the little lane up to the left. Somewhere several hundred metres up the steep slope into these woods can be found the Pierre des Justices polissoir stone.

I was told by locals that unless you know exactly where to look then you will not find it. I had a quick look round and decided that there are better things to do than conduct a full search of a large steep overgrown wood.

Pierre de Richebourg

Trip No.204  Entry No.323  Date Added: 16th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 13th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I could initially find no evidence of this stone, looking for it from the east, and thought that it is probably somewhere in the fenced off woodland grounds of the big house on the top of the hill. Further investigation from the north, the D.41 road to Retiers, and I found a trackway which takes you to right besides it, and it is signposted.

The menhir is behind the fence, beside a pond. The stone is about 3 metres tall by 3 metres wide, and looks fairly much just like a big lump of rock. Very difficult to photograph, with not only the fence in the way, but also the dark from being within the woodland.

Pierre de Nautours

Trip No.203  Entry No.65  Date Added: 5th Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 17th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: I wasn’t expecting this. I was just getting caught up in rush hour traffic on the outskirts of Périgueux when I saw this large brownish black megalith standing beside a busy roundabout. There was a bus stop conveniently right by it at which I was able to stop and have a decent look although I didn’t spend long here.

I assume its been moved here from Combe du Puy Gauthier wherever that may be and it was dedicated as a monument to somebody whose name I didn’t remember.

Pierre de Minuit Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.237  Date Added: 5th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Centre:Loiret (45))
Visited: Yes on 18th Feb 2007. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I wouldn't have bothered with this one, but was told I should visit it by the farmers wife at Coinche. And my thanks must again go to her. It is a wonderful stone, the tallest menhir in the Departement of Loiret. It is almost 5 metres tall, up to 2 metres wide and very variable in thickness. The stone is half a sort of holed and pitted sarsen like stone, on the west face, while the east face is a puddingstone conglomerate of flints and gravel. Most lovely. Much of the puddingstone face is crumbling, and now makes wonderful shapes, with bits sticking out here and there.

Where the puddingstone layer is thin, there are a couple of holes right through the menhir. It is said that women wanting to become mothers should sit in the chair at the top of the stone. Fantastic. This stone can be found a kilometre or so west of the village, behind the Chaise farmhouse, and can easily be seen from the road.

Pierre de Minoz

Date Added: 18th Sep 2010
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 11th Nov 2009

Log Text: None

Pierre de l'Armoire

Trip No.204  Entry No.247  Date Added: 6th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Ile-de-France:Seine-et-Marne 77)
Visited: Yes on 6th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This dolmen can be found a couple of kilometres north of the village of Rumont, along the D.16a road. There is then a signpost to it, and it's about a kilometres walk from the road along a farm track.

The dolmen is within a cropped field, but has a reasonable area left around it, and is in the remains of a mound. it looks to be an Angevin type dolmen, with a rectangular chamber 4 metres long by 2.5 metres in width, and it is covered by a large capstone of irregular shape, up to 6 m by 4m, and it has a large hole in the west end. The entrance opens to the east at 115°, but there is not much of a porchway left, except some fallen stones. This was a nice find after all the recent poor dolmens, and nice to have it signposted.

Pierre de Couche

Trip No.203  Entry No.23  Date Added: 1st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: In a little enclosure on the opposite side of the busy dual carriageway road from the campsite this stone is just over 2 metres tall in pale granite. It’s a nicely shaped stone but far too enclosed within the houses and noisy.

Pierre de Beaumont

Trip No.204  Entry No.270  Date Added: 11th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Centre:Eure-et-Loire (28))
Visited: Yes on 8th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: At the end of the road southwest from Vieuville at a place names les Maisons, there is a farm track which continues on down to a stream. Here in a field of horses is the Pierre de Beaumont dolmen. I couldn't actually get to it, but got to within 50 metres.

Its a nice looking thing, with its capstone still in place on top of several support stones, and I would estimate it to be about 4 metres square.

I met a lady here out walking her dog who told me that until recently you could walk right to the dolmen. Now it has been fenced off, and it is a great shame, and shouldn't be allowed.

Pierre Couverte de Corbeau

Trip No.204  Entry No.92  Date Added: 20th Jul 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49)
Visited: Yes on 16th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This one is quite easy to find, as it is signposted from the nearby hamlet of Bournée, and there is a little picnic area there, despite nowhere decent to park a camper van. It is on top of a hill, in a nice shady wooded area, surrounded by vines, roses and sunflowers, with Troglodyte villages and dwellings all around the area. I couldn't quite make out exactly what this dolmen is the remains of, it seems to be an allée couverte, rather than an Angevine dolmen. The entrance is at the east, and slightly smaller than the main chamber, but it's not a seperate entranceway, as it sort of opens up to the next pair of stones. The back end has all fallen, so difficult to determine. It is up to 10 metres long, 3 metres wide and 2 metres high, with three capstones still in place.

Pierre Couverte de Bué

Trip No.205  Entry No.269  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Centre:Indre (36))
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: A couple of kilometres to the southeast of the village of Bagneux near to the hamlet of Bué, can be found this dolmen in a lovely situation in the forest. The dolmen is well signposted from all around, and from a parking place at Bué it is about 400 metres walk. The large capstone, 6m by 4m sits on top of a chamber 5m by 3m. It has a backstone and six sidestones in various positions of uprightness. The capstone is between 1 and 1.5 metres above the ground.

It has got its own bench nearby on which to sit and contemplate, with falling acorns a hazard, and a woodpecker pecking away amongst other things. This really is a lovely spot, and so gets a 5 for ambience.

I will make this my last megalithic site on my 6 months trip round France, it really is a nice place to finish on, and an unexpected dolmen at that.

It is now 2:30pm, and I really ought to be getting on driving back towards my sister's. Romorantin, Blois (roadworks), Vendome (Roadworks, big crane, school traffic), St-Calais (terrible traffic), Le Mans (rain, traffic jams), Alencon (slow traffic), Argentan, Flers (dug up, closed roads, diversions within diversions). It takes forever to find Vire, now in the complete dark, St-Lo (more diversions) and finally back to Sara's at about 9:30pm. I was amazed I didn't get tired or dozy at all while driving. Parked with 117630 km on the clock, 545 for today. Sausages and eggs (yummy), large beer, then to bed after seeing a depressing news on the telly. I've not missed missing all the bad news from around the world while away in my campervan.

Pierre Couverte (Pontigné)

Trip No.204  Entry No.312  Date Added: 12th Sep 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49)
Visited: Yes on 12th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a very pleasant find. It's well signposted from the village of Pontigné, a couple of kilometres to the west along the D.171 Rue Des Megalithes, and appears on the village plan with a photograph. This is most unusual in these parts where most are very hard, if not impossible to find. Once at the dolmen, its a 400 metre walk along a footpath through the forest from the road.

The dolmen itself is a very nice Angevin style allée couverte, sat in a little clearing in the forest and well tended by the local community. The main chamber is rectangular, 5 metres by 3 metres internal dimensions, not quite tall enough to stand upright in. There are two large capstones on top of two southern side slabs, one large northern one (and a gap), with one large backstone and the two closing front stones still nicely in place. The porchway entrance is still pretty much intact, and is 2.5 metres long by 1.5 metres wide, and still topped by its capstone. The chamber of course opens to the east, with a bearing of about 080°.

As is so often the case, it has suffered from graffitti and fires, with lots of broken bottles laying about. Such a shame.

Pierre Courcoulée (Landean)

Trip No.204  Entry No.327  Date Added: 16th Sep 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 13th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: North of Fougères, in the forest, are several megalithic remains. The Pierre Courcoulée is towards the northwest of the forest and well signposted, it is just 200m from a big forest carpark and has its own circular walk which can be followed.

The dolmen is in a little clearing with signpost, and is the remains of a little allée couverte. The western end is fairly ruinous, but the east end is quite complete and has a closing stone. There are 7 metres of chamber remaining, with two large capstones covering most of it. As the eastern end is not the entry, I would think that this is a lateral entry chamber, with the entrance somewhere on the south side, like several of the other nearby Mayenne monuments. It is in the remains of a mound, and there is evidence for some of the stones of its peristalith still being in place.

Pierre Chaude

Trip No.205  Entry No.10  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Centre:Indre-et-Loire (37))
Visited: Yes on 30th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: About a kilometre to the east of the village of Neuilly, on the road to Paulmy, can be found this nice dolmen, about 50 metres to the south of the road in a hazlenut grove, and signposted.

The dolmen has a large single capstone which is now broken, sat on top of 6 support stones making a rectangular chamber about 3 metres by 3 metres internal dimensions, and almost 2 metres high at the top. The entrance to the dolmen is through a cut side stone at the eastern side, which has the opening made at the top.

The dolmen was excavated in the 19th century, and several skeletons were found, along with animal bones, polished stones, flint items and pottery. Nearby is the permanent spring of Fonteny, about 200 metres to the south.