<< Our Photo Pages >> Menhirs d'Epoigny - Standing Stones in France in Bourgogne:Saône-et-Loire (71)
Submitted by thecaptain on Friday, 27 October 2006 Page Views: 9732
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Menhirs d'Epoigny Alternative Name: Couches AlignementCountry: France Département: Bourgogne:Saône-et-Loire (71) Type: Standing Stones
Nearest Town: Beaune Nearest Village: Couches
Latitude: 46.876400N Longitude: 4.534400E
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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TheCaptain visited on 3rd Aug 2005 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5 Just to the south of the D.978 road, a few kilometres north west of Couches, is a sign to menhirs, which I of course followed. About a kilometre from the main road is a little road junction, and several menhirs can be seen in the fields. It's hard to make out exactly what the menhirs represent, and how accurate they are is open to question, as they have all been re-erected in concrete bases fairly recently.
Near the side of the lane is a row of three superbly sculpted menhirs, the southern one being 5.5 metres tall, with several carved lines and cupmarks. The central menhir is about 4.5 metres tall, but has lost its top, while the northern menhir is fallen and broken (in actual fact it looks to have been cut up) and would perhaps have been bigger than its neighbours. The three menhirs are evenly spaced about 7 metres apart, and are aligned NW to SE at about 125°. Forty or fifty metres away to the north, are another pair of menhirs, both about 4.5 metres in height, and again they are superbly shaped and dressed. These are spaced at about 10 metres from each other, and align NE to SW at 025°, and any intersection passes through the row of three but not at any stone. Of this pair of menhirs, the southern one has a few cupules carved into it, while the northern one is decorated with lines, cupules and at least one axe, and a few more serpent like lines. Just outside this field, beside the road junction, is a sixth menhir, this one only about 2 metres tall and broken, and which does not align with any of the others.
It is thought that there was once more menhirs here. This feels like a very powerful place, up on this hill. I feel all trembly here, and in awe of the stones, and find it hard to leave.
It's hard to make out exactly what the menhirs represent, and how accurate they are is open to question, as they have mostly been re-erected in concrete bases fairly recently.
Near the side of the lane is a row of three superbly sculpted menhirs, the southern one being 5.5 metres tall, with several carved lines and cupmarks. The central menhir is about 4.5 metres tall, but has lost its top, while the northern menhir is fallen and broken (in actual fact it looks to have been cut up) and would perhaps have been bigger than its neighbours. The three menhirs are evenly spaced about 7 metres apart, and are aligned NW to SE at about 125°.
Forty or fifty metres away to the north, are another pair of menhirs, both about 4.5 metres in height, and again they are superbly shaped and dressed. These are spaced at about 10 metres from each other, and align NE to SW at 025°, and any intersection passes through the row of three but not at any stone.
Of this pair of menhirs, the southern one has a few cupules carved into it, while the northern one is decorated with lines, cupules and at least one axe, and a few more serpent like lines.
Just outside this field, beside the road junction, is a sixth menhir, this one only about 2 metres tall and broken, and which does not align with any of the others. Another stone is nearby.
It is thought that there was once more menhirs here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Positional co-ordinates taken from a gps receiver.
Note: One of my favourite megalithic sites from my stonehunting tour of France last year - and most unexpected. I didn't even know of its existance beforehand, and just saw a little sign to menhirs while driving past on the way elsewhere.
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