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Stonehenge Sacred Symbolism - Ancient Beliefs in Britain and Northern Europe

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Lou Couraus Cromlechs - Stone Circle in France in Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64

Submitted by thecaptain on Wednesday, 25 July 2007  Page Views: 10280

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Lou Couraus Cromlechs Alternative Name: Cromlech de Lou Couraus, Cromlechs d'Accaous
Country: France
NOTE: This site is 1.833 km away from the location you searched for.

Département: Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64 Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Oloron-Saint-Marie  Nearest Village: Bilhères
Latitude: 43.067400N  Longitude: 0.4469W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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I have visited· I would like to visit

oldman visited on 22nd Sep 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 The rain had eased a little after our visit to the dolmen near Buzy so we decided to take the track up to these stone circles. What a magical place even with rain and poor visibility the hike was worth the trouble.

TheCaptain visited on 7th Sep 2005 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 High up above the Ossau valley above the village of Bielle can be found several circles of stones, on a little shelf of land halfway up the mountainside, and in a wonderful viewpoint above the valley. From the village take the road up towards Col de Marie Blanc, and park at the Chapelle de Houndas after about 5 kilometres, and about 8 km before the Col. From here the cromlechs are easily reached, on a signposted walk along mountain trackways. Allow three hours for the return visit round the signposted footpath. Unfortunately, the day I am here is not good for the weather, and I am mostly enveloped in cloud, so I am not getting the fantastic views, in fact most of my walk up the visibility is only 50 metres, which is a pity, because the big mountains around Col D'Aubisque should all be visible from here. After following the trackway for a couple of kilometres, the cromlechs are found a short distance up a steepish path to the left, and after lots of exploring, I counted what I thought to be 16 circles of various sizes. The first cromlech I found, which I shall call Cromlech A (4), is right beside the track, and has a diameter of 6 metres, with 26 stones still in position, mostly contiguous around the outside, but with about 4 or 5 gaps. Within the circle are lots more stones, and perhaps the remnants of a central burial area, circular and about one metre in diameter. It is of course possible that these stones are the remains of a cairn, and the circular structure is a fluke (although after seeing more of these Pyrenean cromlechs later on my tour, the remains of burial cairns and cists in the centre of these circles is fairly common). A further look suggests that it may have had an entrance to the east, on 065°, between two larger white stones, with a dark one in between. This circle reminded me in many ways of that at Belstone on Dartmoor. Cromlech B (2). This is a smaller circle, but very well formed, 4 metres in diameter, consisting of about 20 stones, with many more smaller pieces in place. The largest stone is about 0.7 metres high. Cromlech C (1). This is about 9 metres in diameter with about 18 stones in place, with many more fallen. Some of these stones stand over a metre in height. The ground within is stony and slightly raised, suggesting the remains of a cairn. This circle is just 3 metres away from circle B at the closest point. Cromlech D and more (6 to 15). Walking eastwards along the shelf of land from Cromlech A for 50 metres, and in a place where some of the vegetation has been cleared back can be seen many more circles of stone. It is not easy to count them, as although some are complete, several are partial, and many are buried in the undergrowth. Suffice to say that there are about a dozen circles here, made with smaller stones, and ranging in diameter from 2.5 metres to 5 metres. What I shall call circle 8 is a nicely formed circle 5 metres in diameter and with about 24 readily identifiable stones. It doesn't photograph well as it is underneath some bushes. At last, after sitting and spending ages up here, the cloud has risen above me, and in fact there are patches of blue sky, although not as yet above the mountains. Its really beautiful up here, with birdies tweeting and bells ringing all around. How much longer should I stay though ? Perhaps its better to be getting back now, its gone 3:00pm. Ahhh, the cows have arrived. I can go back now the cows have come home ! Take many more pictures with the cows n them, the stones make good scratching posts. I get down to the van at 4:00, and its now mostly sunny. Time to tackle Aubisque and Soulor.



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 5 Access: 3

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : After a long wait, the clouds eventually rose a bit. Then the cattle arrived, and I had this view south along the Ossau valley. It was a wonderful moment. (Vote or comment on this photo)
High up above the Ossau valley near the village of Bielle can be found several circles of stones, on a little shelf of land halfway up the mountainside, and in a wonderful viewpoint above the valley. These remnants are the circles of stones surrounding ancient burials, and I counted 16 circles of various sizes up here.

From the village take the road up towards Col de Marie Blanque, and park near the Chapelle de Houndas after about 5 kilometres, and about 8 km before the Col. From here the cromlechs are easily reached, on a signposted walk (Sentiers d'Émilie) along mountain trackways. Allow three hours for the return visit round the signposted footpath, but expect to take much longer in order to fully take in the surroundings.

After following the trackway for a couple of kilometres, the cromlechs are found a short distance up a steepish path to the left, and after lots of exploring, I counted what I thought to be 16 circles of various sizes. Unfortunately, the day I visited here was not good for the weather, and I was mostly enveloped in cloud, so I didn't get the fantastic views, in fact most of my walk up the visibility was only 50 metres, which was a pity, because the big mountains around Col D'Aubisque should all be visible from here.

The first cromlech I found, which I shall call Cromlech (4), is right beside the track, and has a diameter of 6 metres, with 26 stones still in position, mostly contiguous around the outside, but with about 4 or 5 gaps. Within the circle are lots more stones, and perhaps the remnants of a central burial area, circular and about one metre in diameter (after seeing more of these Pyrenean cromlechs later on my tour, the remains of burial cairns and cists in the centre of these circles is fairly common). A further look suggests that it may have had an entrance to the east, on 065°, between two larger white stones, with a dark one in between. This circle reminded me in many ways of that at Belstone on Dartmoor.

Cromlech (2). This is a smaller circle, but very well formed, 4 metres in diameter, consisting of about 20 contiguous stones, with many more smaller pieces in place. The largest stone is about 0.7 metres high.

Cromlech (1). This is about 9 metres in diameter with about 18 stones in place, with many more fallen. Some of these stones stand over a metre in height. The ground within is stony and slightly raised, suggesting the remains of a cairn. This circle is just 3 metres away from circle (2) at the closest point.

Cromlechs (3) and (5) are lost in the undergrowth.

Cromlechs (6 to 16). Walking eastwards along the shelf of land from Cromlech (4) for 50 metres, and in a place where some of the vegetation has been cleared back can be seen many more circles of stone. It is not easy to count them, as although some are complete, several are partial, and many are buried in the undergrowth. Suffice to say that there are about a dozen circles here, made with smaller stones, and ranging in diameter from 2.5 metres to 5 metres.

What I shall call circle (8) is a nicely formed circle 5 metres in diameter and with about 24 readily identifyable stones. It doesnt photograph well as it is underneath some bushes. Circles 6 to 15 are all very close together, and practically adjoined to each other. Some basics of the circles I saw will be recorded below.

(6) - 6 m diam, 13 stones. Half under the undergrowth.
(7) - 4 m diam, 16 stones.
(8) - 5 m diam, 24 stones. Nicely circular and well formed.
(9) - 4 m diam, 12 stones. Constructed between circles 8 and 10, using many of their stones.
(10) - 3 m diam.
(11) - 3 m diam.
(12) - 4 m diam, 17 stones. Made using a mix of Black and White stones.
(13) - 3 m diam.
(14) - 3.5/2 m diam, A double ring, the outer ring made using white stones, the inner ring made of black stones.
(15) - 5 m diam, Very small stones here now.
(16) - 4 m diam, 7 stones, Spaced further away from 15, and using larger stones.



IMPORTANT NOTE: Positional co-ordinates taken from a gps receiver.

Note: As the Tour-de-France passes over the Col de Marie Blanque today, it will pass just below the Lou Couraus cromlechs, which would probably be a good place to watch from. So I thought it was time to update the details and add to the pictures of this beautiful place.
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Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by Nick- : One of the 'cromlechs' looking SW(?). Some of the houses in Bilhères can be seen below. (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by irundarra : Site in Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64 France (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : Lou Couraus Cromlechs, high up in the Pyrenees. Still used to this day, 4500 years on, as a cattle scratching place. (7 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by Nick- : (Vote or comment on this photo)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by Nick- : Another cromlech looking South Eastwards up the valley towards Laruns, and further on the Spanish frontier. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by irundarra : Site in Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64 France

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : The position of the Lou Couraus Cromlechs viewed from the roadside (on the way up to Col de Marie Blanc for you Tour fans) at the nearest place for parking. They are strung out along the ledge of land covered in scrub at the top of the open green hillside which leads to the shoulder on the skyline.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : Lou Couraus Cromlechs, where I counted a possible 16 circles, are high up at 950 metres altitude in the beautiful Pyrenees mountains. After the clouds cleared, and the cattle arrived, I had to go back down eventually, and this is a view back towards the site. The cromlechs are situated on the ledge of land amongst the bushes at the top of the open green hillside, at the point where the clouds ...

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : After a long walk up here in the clouds and rain at 950 metres altitude, I spent a long time just soaking in the wonderful atmosphere. After a while, the clouds began to rise so I hung around longer to see what happened. Eventually the cloud lifted and I got some wonderful views. Then the cattle arrived ! (3 comments)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by oldman : Just one of the stone circles on the hill.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by TheCaptain : Circles 1 and 2 of the Lou Couraus Cromlechs, seen here on their shelf like position on the mountainside from above.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by thecaptain : Lou Couraus Cromlechs. I counted 16 circles up here of varying sizes. This is one of the smaller, but more complete examples.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by oldman : Site in Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64 France. Here is the view of the village in the valley below that you can almost see through the mist

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by oldman : One of the larger circles perched right on the edge

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by irundarra : Site in Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64 France (1 comment)

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by TheCaptain : Circle 4 of the Lou Couraus Cromlechs, with its internal structure, seen here on its shelf like position on the mountainside from above. In many ways this circle reminded me of that at Belstone on Dartmoor.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by TheCaptain : What I call circle (8) of the Lou Couraus Cromlechs is a nicely formed circle 5 metres in diameter and with about 24 readily identifyable stones. It doesnt photograph well as it is mostly underneath some bushes.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by TheCaptain : Several of the smaller Lou Couraus Cromlechs, seen together on their mountain lookout. The nearest is a double ring, the outer ring made using white stones, the inner ring made of black stones.

Lou Couraus Cromlechs
Lou Couraus Cromlechs submitted by TheCaptain : One of the lesser of the Lou Couraus Cromlechs (6 ?), high up in the Pyrénées. (1 comment)

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"Lou Couraus Cromlechs" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by Anonymous on Friday, 16 February 2018
Here the blog of a local scholar

http://cromlechs-ossau.blogspot.fr/

-------------------------------------------

Ici le blog d'un érudit local

http://cromlechs-ossau.blogspot.fr/
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by stonetramp on Friday, 17 August 2007
(User Info | Send a Message)
What a lovely site this is! I love these smaller megalithic sites, they seem more personal. Just one question, why do you refer to them as cromlechs? I thought a cromlech was like a quoit or a dolman. Does it just mean burial site?

Thanks for all the nice pictures, I would really like to visit this site!
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by TheCaptain on Wednesday, 17 October 2007
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Sorry, hadn't seen this question before. The term comes from the Breton / Welsh / Cornish language, from the words crom and lech, meaning something like crooked and stone slab.

    In France, a cromlech is a stone circle, or a ring of stones. Or sometimes a sort of stone enclosure, which can often be horseshoe shaped. In Welsh, a cromlech usually means a dolmen (dol and men = table and stone).

    I have no idea why the meaning is different in the two places, after all it comes from the same root. And I am sure others can explain much better than me the intricacies of the language of which I know very little.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by Anonymous on Friday, 17 August 2007
Thanks for posting this, TheCaptain & others - excellent stuff

RSleepy
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Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by TheCaptain on Wednesday, 25 July 2007
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After sitting and spending ages up here in the wet mist, the cloud eventually rose above me, and in fact there were patches of blue sky, although not enough to clear above the mountains. It's really beautiful up here, with birdies tweeting and bells ringing all around. I wondered how much longer should I stay. I thought it better to be getting back having gone 3:00pm. But, Ahhh, the cows arrived. I can go back now the cows have come home !
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Lou Couraus Cromlech by TheCaptain on Thursday, 22 December 2005
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In my notes, I wrote that I counted 16 circles up here in this wonderful mountainside place. I will write a proper report at some point in the future. Suffice it to say that this really is a splendid place.
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