<< Our Photo Pages >> La Pierre Folle (Montguyon) - Passage Grave in France in Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17)
Submitted by TheCaptain on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 Page Views: 8392
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: La Pierre Folle (Montguyon)Country: France Département: Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17) Type: Passage Grave
Nearest Town: Libourne Nearest Village: Montguyon
Latitude: 45.227500N Longitude: 0.1786W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
Martin_L DrewParsons CraigBabington would like to visit
oldman visited on 19th Sep 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Magnificent huge monument with impressive stones.
alchemille visited on 24th Jul 2013 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 5 La pierre folle (the mad stone) of Montguyon is and allée couverte of 16 m long, 4.20 high. The biggest stone is said to weight 30 tonnes. As often applied to megalithic sites, the main stone is said to tumble three times when the bell of Vassiac calls for the Xmas mass, hence the name: pierre folle. It is actually own by Jean Moucheboeuf, a local Pinot and Cognac producer. This monument is a good advertisement for the selling of local Pinot de la charente. La pierre folle was built about 5000 years ago. Easy to find, it is signposted when taking the D730 to Montguyon, or follow signs to l'Aire de loisirs Beau Vallon.
TheCaptain visited on 3rd Jun 2005 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 This superb monument is signposted to the north of the town of Montguyon, and has its own parking and picnic area. It is a double monument, with an Aquitaine allée-couverte combined with a dolmen.
The allée-couverte part is massive, with a double chamber internally measuring 8 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and up to 2 metres high, facing east at 080°. The big capstone at the west end is 3 metres off the ground, 1.5 metres thick and is estimated to weigh 30 tonnes.
The dolmen part of the monument at the western end is much more complex to make out, at first seemingly being just lots of large stones all over the place. Looking in more detail however, suggests that it has a simple chamber with an entry corridor facing to the north, and incorporates the back stone of the allée-couverte as its eastern side.
These really are some impressive and lovely stones, and the angles of the capstones in particular are very striking. Some of the stones have fascinating holes and markings in them, many looking like they have been carved. And one of the stones at the entrance to the allée-couverte looks to be hollow, with a great big "chamber" within it. Quite a splendid place.
Pity the weather while I was here left a lot to be desired, and made getting good photographs difficult. Well worth a visit, and just as I was about to leave, a coachparty turned up. There is a sign which states that there are supposedly several other monuments nearby, including two more called Pierre Folle.
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 4.33 Access: 5
The allée-couverte part is massive, with a double chamber internally measuring 8 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and up to 2 metres high, facing east at 080°. The big capstone at the west end is 3 metres off the ground, 1.5 metres thick and is estimated to weigh 30 tonnes.
The dolmen part of the monument at the western end is much more complex to make out, at first seemingly being just lots of large stones all over the place. Looking in more detail however, suggests that it has a simple chamber with an entry corridor facing to the north, and incorporates the back stone of the allée-couverte as its eastern side.
These really are some impressive and lovely stones, and the angles of the capstones in particular are very striking. Some of the stones have fascinating holes and markings in them, many looking like they have been carved. And one of the stones at the entrance to the allée-couverte looks to be hollow, with a great big "chamber" within it.
Quite a splendid place. Pity the weather while I was here left a lot to be desired, and made getting good photographs difficult. Well worth a visit, and just as I was about to leave, a coachparty turned up.
There is a sign which states that there are supposedly several other monuments nearby, including two more called Pierre Folle.
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