Grand Dolmen du Ferrussac

Trip No.205  Entry No.150  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: 300 metres further along the road to the east from the Petit Dolmen, can be found the Grand Dolmen du Ferrussac. Which compared to the others I have seen around here is a bit of a monster. It is right beside the road, again with parking and sign.

On top of a natural mound, and within its tumulus of stones, the main chamber stones tower above everything. The tumulus is about 16 metres in diameter, and has an encircling ring of large slabs. In the centre is the main chamber, 4 metres long by 1.6 metres wide, and well over 2 metres high with a massive 4.5 metre long by 2.5 metre wide capstone on top. The entry passage is at least 5 metres long, less than a metre wide and a metre high, topped with four capstones, and is largely slab sided. Between the entry passage and the main chamber is a partitioning entry stone. The entrance faces southwest, at 235°.

It's not perfect, there has been a lot of restoration and concrete, including half of the western sideslab, but its a pretty impressive monument. There are supposedly a couple of fallen menhirs between 50 and 100 metres to the south of the dolmen, but this land is fenced off, and with some pretty mean looking horned cattle in there, so I wasn't going to look too hard.

Prunarède Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.157  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I thought that this was going to be an easy find, but not so. Take the road north from Saint-Maurice-Navacelles towards the Cirque de Navacelles. After several kilometres you come to the ruined farmhouse of Prunarède, at a couple of sharp bends in the road. Park here, and walk along the footpath which starts behind the farm for 800 metres until the path runs out. Easy so far. The dolmen should be there, at the end of the path. Not so easy now. Where does the path end ? and what is path and what is sheeptrack ?

I eventually found the dolmen, I had walked way past expecting it to be obvious, but it wasnt. It is well hidden in the bushes, to the right of where I had walked. Its a smashing dolmen, still with a cairn around it encircled with larger slabs of stone. The chamber is 3.5 metres long, between 1.5 and 2 metres wide, and formed with two side slabs leaning inwards onto a front and back stone. These are all fitted together so well, that even after 5000 years, there's not much more than an inch gap anywhere. There is no way into the chamber except to get a look through a gap under the capstone from one side. The capstone sits nicely on top of three of the four stones. I cannot tell where the entranceway would have been, or which is front and back.

Unfortunately, there are remnants from a fence which had been built around it in the past, in the form of a square of stones around the chamber on top of the cairn, and the remains of iron railings. The views from here would be tremendous if the scrub was cut back, but are however very limited.

Ginestous menhir 7

Trip No.205  Entry No.183  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Ginestous menhir 7 remains as a small stump, which can be seen at the edge of the little road which leads up to the chateau, just uphill from the corner after the railway crossing.

Dolmen de Cambous

Trip No.205  Entry No.186  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just outside the ancient village take a path eastwards along the edge of the wood from near to the sheep pond for about 200 metres, and you will get to this dolmen. There is a round cairn of stones about 10 metres in diameter, with two concentric circles of dressed stone around it. At the centre is a chamber, made with drystone walling except for the backstone and two entrance stones, but it is not very big at about 2m by 1m. There is no sign of any capstone.

Viols Musée de Préhistoire

Trip No.205  Entry No.191  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 20th Sep 2005

Log Text: Once a prehistory museum in the little town of Viols-le-Fort, but now closed with the building used for something else. The collection includes the statue menhir found at nearby prehistoric village of Truc de Marti.

Truc de Marti

Trip No.205  Entry No.192  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 20th Sep 2005

Log Text: I went to have a look at this hilltop site, but time was getting on, and I could find no quick way up to the top of the hill, which has the remains of a prehistoric village and up to 9 burial chambers on it. I had a look, but could see nothing resembling a path at all, and the place was all very overgrown with rough scrub. I decided that I would probably get lost up there, so I headed off to find a campsite.

Lacam de Peyrarines

Trip No.205  Entry No.162  Date Added: 15th Nov 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Take the road towards Blandas from Montdardier, and after a few kilometres there is a big junction of ways. About 600 metres down the road towards Blandas from the junction, and in the field to the right can be seen this tremendous cromlech.

This is a proper circle of stones, with 52 standing stones up to about 1.8 metres high making a circle of about 120 metres diameter. At the centre is a large menhir, well over two metres high. There are gaps in the circle, and several more stones which were possibly part of the circle are laying down. The stones which make up the circle are all different shapes and sizes, of this fragile and pockmarked limestone. There are tall thin ones, big rectangular stumps, short squat blocks, diamonds, triangles, slanted top stones and a few almonds.

Just sat at the centre of this circle looking at all the stones around me it feels wonderful. One of the stones has like a giant finger pointing upwards. One of them is full of holes (number 35 in my counting !). Most of them are very evenly spaced, but it is not all that way. This really is a special place. Most of the stones are of the local crumbly flaky pale limestone, but not all, as a few of the large stones are a dark brown gritty sort of rock.

La Pierre Bamboche 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.210  Date Added: 30th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 24th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Nearby to the La Pierre Bamboche can be found the remains of another menhir, now fallen and broken. The remains can be found about 30 metres away, in the direction of Sanilhac.

La Pierre Bamboche 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.209  Date Added: 30th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 24th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This stone is easy to find, driving west along the D.112 towards Sanilhac, and after a couple of kilometres there it is, standing right beside the road at a corner. It stands at over 2 metres tall, but has been cemented back together from several pieces, the top having been broken off in the past.

Oppidum de Nages

Trip No.205  Entry No.196  Date Added: 26th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 21st Sep 2005

Log Text: On the top of the hill to the north of Nages are the remains of an oppidum. This is a nice looking hill rising steeply from the plains, and with what looks to be a sculpted top.

Menhir de Landre 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.163  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 19th Sep 2005

Log Text: From the Planas junction, take the small road towards Le Landre. After a couple of kilometres, just after passing over the brow of a hill, and you can see this menhir up on top of its little hillock, about 70 metres to the left of the road. It was all well fenced in when I visited, behind a little cropped field, so I couldn't get to the stone. It looks about 2.5 metres tall, and leans at quite an angle. Splendid views from here to the north, and the Cevennes.

Lacam de Rogues 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.174  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: From the main road passing the village of Rogues, take the dirt track leading northwest from near the electrical transformer, opposite the road to the village. After 300 metres walking down this track, there is a little mound on the right side, of which the centre has been dug out. To the other side of the track here are the remains of the first Cromlech de Rogues. There is not much here to be seen, but there are a few larger lumps of stone laying around, and with an eye of faith, an arc can possibly be made out with some of them.

Oppidum de la Blacarède

Trip No.205  Entry No.176  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 19th Sep 2005

Log Text: Just to the northeast of the village of Rogues is a large rounded hill with remains of an Oppidum on the top.

Ciste de Lacam

Trip No.205  Entry No.173  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: From the main road passing the village of Rogues, take the dirt track leading northwest from near the electrical transformer, opposite the road to the village. After 300 metres walking down this track, there is a little mound on the right side, of which the centre has been dug out. Inside can be seen the slab stone remains of a central burial cist. Probably never a full dolmen, but maybe a later iron age burial. None of the slabs are more than 50cm in length.

Dolmen de Barral

Trip No.205  Entry No.170  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: At the eastern edge of the hamlet of Barral, built into a wall to the north of the road, across a field, can be seen this little dolmen. The stones are easily visible from the road, although a visit was not really possible.

Trivalle menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.172  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Named Trivalle since Roman times, because it is situated at the junction of three ancient trackways, this menhir stands about 1.7 metres tall, just outside the ancient village of Rogues, on the road west towards Blandas, not far from the church.

Lacam de la Rigalderie 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.169  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 1 Access 3

Log Text: There is supposedly another stone circle near to the top of the hill, but in a ruinous state. I had a good look around, but with all the bushes and undergrowth growing here near the top of the hill, there was nothing that I could find which could be said to be the remains of a stone circle.

Combes Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.166  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: About a kilometre further on from the Arques dolmen, and just to the left of the road can be found this superb menhir, which has been re-erected in a concrete base. It stands 3 metres tall, and is made of the most wonderfully weathered piece of limestone, full of holes and divots, with moss and lichens growing everywhere. It is quite a character.

Menhir de Planàs

Trip No.205  Entry No.160  Date Added: 15th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Near the entry to the Planàs Dolmen, and laying on the tumulus, is a lovely fallen menhir, which possibly acted as a marker. Its about 2 metres long and 1 metre wide, and a lovely almond shaped stone. Pity it hasn’t been stood up when the dolmen restoration was done.

Lacam de Rogues 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.175  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: From the main road passing the village of Rogues, take the dirt track leading northwest from near the electrical transformer, opposite the road to the village. Walk about 600 metres along this track, always keeping to the right when there is a choice. There is then a little cultivated field in the valley to the right, go around this and to the top of the higher ground beyond it, and continue for another 300 metres.

At the highest point is a little tree growing, with the central pillar for this cromlech standing beside it. This central pillar is the only stone of this circle still standing, and it is not much more than a metre high. The circle of stones around it is about 90 metres in diameter, and there are many stones remaining, but all fallen and crumbling, as is the wont of this fragile pale limestone. I would imagine there to be bits of at least 30 stones still in evidence, most of them being in the northern half of the circle. The southern half is practically barren, and there has been a wall, or field clearance line of stones created where a big one of the circle would have been.

Apart from the cold wind blowing across this plateau, the clouds have now mostly cleared, and it is becoming a clear blue sky with great visibility. It really is special up here, with magnificent views all around over the Causse, with hills and mountains in the distance all around. The Cevennes to the north look particularly enchanting in the low golden sunlight.