<< Our Photo Pages >> Grand Menhir Brisé - Standing Stone (Menhir) in France in Bretagne:Morbihan (56)
Submitted by TheCaptain on Monday, 03 January 2005 Page Views: 30698
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Grand Menhir Brisé Alternative Name: Men-er-Groach, Er Grah; Menhir HroegCountry: France Département: Bretagne:Morbihan (56) Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Auray Nearest Village: Locmariaquer
Latitude: 47.571320N Longitude: 2.950073W
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 |
Internal Links:
External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
markj99 visited on 14th Sep 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4 Grand Menhir Brise is one of Locmariaquer's big three sites. It is only accessible via the Site des Megalithes Visitor Centre for 6 euros. To be fair, there are three impressive monuments, unrestricted visiting time and free parking so what's not to like?
Grand Menhir Brise consists of four massive recumbent stones which are though to have been parts of one of the largest ever menhirs, measuring c. 20 metres long. There is speculation as to whether the Grand Menhir Brise either broke on erection or as a result of an earthquake or was deliberately toppled. There is archaeological evidence of 19 socket holes forming a giant stone row, with Grand Menhir Brise as an end stone. Whatever the reality, there is no doubt that the Grand Menhir Brise is an impressive antiquity.
lichen visited on 29th Aug 2022 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 5
aolson visited on 18th Jul 2020 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4 By far the most interesting of the three sites in the Locmariaquer complex. It would have been nice to be able to stand near the broken part to compare just how huge it is.
w650marion visited on 24th Sep 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5
jopplanje visited on 14th Oct 2015 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 5
Chrus visited on 1st Jan 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5
43559959 visited on 22nd Apr 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5
Jimwithnoname visited on 1st Sep 2010 - their rating: Cond: 5 A must see site. Entry is reasonably priced.
TheCaptain visited on 11th Jun 2005 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 3 Much has been written about this place by others already, and I wont spend valuable daylight by sitting and writing anymore for myself, except to say that it is all very different to what it was in 1987, and that the current thinking is that the Grand Menhir was once just one of 19 stodd up in a row, and was toppled deliberately after only a couple of hundred years. The othher menhirs were broken and used for other purposes.
johnstone visited on 8th Jun 2002 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5
Orcinus visited on 1st Aug 1988 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Visited in 1988 during the Brittany project excavations
X-Ice visited on 17th Aug 1982 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4
negus visited - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5
Catrinm visited - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 5
neolithique02 DrewParsons Andy B ermine davidmorgan rrmoser have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.29 Ambience: 4 Access: 4.58
The latest theory for the 23 metre long Grand Menhir is that it was once an end stone in a row of 19 giant menhirs, which stood for only one or two hundred years. Then, for some reason, the menhirs were all toppled over and broken. The 19 socket holes have been excavated, and can be seen.
One theory suggests it would never have stood, but was broken while trying to erect it as it is just physically too big.
Another theory states that it would have been the centrepiece of a massive set of megalithic monuments which cover almost the entire Carnac and Gulf of Morbihan area, with various astronomical alignements being made.
The remains of many of the other stones were re-used as capstones etc for many of the large tombs and dolmens built round here, and many of these stone pieces are visible today, one of which makes the capstone for Mane Rethual.
Another of the giant stones forms the covers to three significant tombs, the nearby Table-des-Marchands and Er-Grah, and the 2 km distant (and across the water) Gavrinis. This is known because the stones have carvings on them, which can be seen to have once been one and the same, like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
The Journal of Antiquities features a page for La Grand Menhir Brise, Locmariquer, Morbihan, Brittany, which includes directions for finding the stone, together with a photograph, background and reference sources.
Base Mérimée (Historic Monument)
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.
These are just the first 25 photos of Grand Menhir Brisé. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.
Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site
Nearby sites
Click here to view sites on an interactive map of the areaKey: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed
Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)
To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.
Turn off the page maps and other distractions
Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
29m ENE 72° La Table des Marchands* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
116m NNW 340° Er-Grah tumulus* Chambered Tomb
261m SE 128° Menhir La Motte de Beurre* Standing Stone (Menhir)
297m NNW 345° Mane Lud Dolmen* Chambered Cairn
304m SE 144° Mane-Rethuel Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
441m E 83° Mein Er Mere Menhir* Standing Stone (Menhir)
662m SW 222° Kerlud Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
1.3km SE 137° Mané-er-Hroëck tumulus* Chambered Tomb
1.3km SE 140° Menhirs de Mané er Hroëck* Standing Stone (Menhir)
1.3km SE 132° Menhir de Mané er Hroëk 3* Standing Stone (Menhir)
1.5km NW 320° Kervéresse Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
1.6km S 182° Pierres Plates (Locmariaquer)* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
1.7km WSW 252° Er Vil Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.1km SSW 206° Pointe Er Hourél Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.2km SE 133° Kerpenhir Menhir* Standing Stone (Menhir)
2.2km SE 126° Menhir de Goémorent Standing Stone (Menhir)
2.3km WNW 294° Menhir de Kerguelvan* Standing Stone (Menhir)
2.7km NNW 346° Dolmen de Kerlévarec Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.7km NE 49° Dolmens de la Presqu'île de Couédic Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.7km NW 322° Dolmen du Coët-Courzo* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.9km NW 314° Kercadoret Dolmen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
3.1km ESE 120° Bilgroix Point Menhir* Modern Stone Circle etc
3.2km E 97° Île Longue tumulus* Chambered Tomb
3.2km ESE 121° Bilgroix allée couverte* Passage Grave
3.4km NNE 33° Dolmens de Mané-Ven-Guen* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
View more nearby sites and additional images