Kerpeulven Menhir (Penvénan)

Trip No.203  Entry No.571  Date Added: 5th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This pleasant menhir is about 4 metres tall, and trapped in a garden about 250 metres north of the church along Rue de Menhir in the village of Penvénan. It is however only a few metres from the road, and easily visible from it.

Thiemblais menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.597  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This is a truly wonderful 8 metre long granite menhir, which can be found signposted along a little track just to the east of the village of St Samson.

Although it leans at about 45°, it is beautifully shaped and has multitudes of carvings and engravings all over it. Apparently those on the flat western face are easy to see at mid day, but when I was here at 7:00pm, I could barely make anything out. I could, however, clearly see some of the carvings on the two sides, with the shadows being cast in just the right direction. All of the usual neolithic symbols are here, crosses, axes, squares, palettes and serpents.

A nice legend of the stone is that any young girl who wants to get married should climb to the top of the stone, and side down in their "birth knickers", and they will become wed within the year. It is also supposed to be one of the three menhirs that block the entrance to hell. A real fantastic find.

Tossen-Keler Cromlech (1964-2018)

Trip No.203  Entry No.573  Date Added: 5th Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: For a reason unknown to me, the 40 metre diameter and 7 metres high Tossen Keler tumulus from Penvénan was excavated and totally removed in about 1960. The horseshoe of stones (cromlech) that surrounded it were moved to a position in a little public garden on the quayside here at the pleasant old port town of Tréguier. Much of the horseshoe is here, but there was once a few stones with engravings on them, which are now in some museum or other somewhere, and have been replaced here with more modern stones.

I remember this as a pleasant grassy park from my previous visit, but when I revisited in 2005, apart from the grass within it, it is in a massive dusty car and bus park, looking very unloved. Its a shame.

Tour-ar-Varquez

Trip No.203  Entry No.576  Date Added: 5th Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Two standing and one fallen stone make up this alignement of stones in a field wall to the northeast of Pleubian. The two standing stones are about 2.5 metres tall, but the fallen one is of indeterminate length and lost in the undergrowth. It is situated about 100 metres across a field beside the road north from St Antoine. The orientation is 065°.

Men-ar-Rompet

Trip No.203  Entry No.575  Date Added: 5th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The remains of this allée couverte, "the Giants Stones", sit within a field wall (which is no doubt the reason for its survival) just 25 metres from the sea at high tide, near to the entrance of the Tréguier estuary. The chamber is quite short at about 6 metres, probably due to the eastern end being destroyed. The western end is intact with not only a back stone, but also an internal dividing stone a couple of metres in. Three capstones sit in place, with another one fallen at the east.

This would be a lovely place to sit and watch the boats and birds on a nice day, but a sea fog has developed and is enveloping everything, so the visibility is lacking. So much for my plans to go to the big sand spit (Siillon de Talbert) later. Uh Oh, its now started to rain. This allée couverte is signposted from the nearby Kerbors village, and is just a few hundred metres walk from a parking place.

Allée couverte de Mélus

Trip No.203  Entry No.574  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Despite looking very difficult to get to on the maps, this allée couverte is actually very easy to find, as a new housing development has been made, with the roads through it signposted to the allée couverte, and then a little trackway made up to it. The monument is now contained within a little walled area in the fields, a couple of hundred metres from a parking area.

It is about 14 metres long, with an orientation of 110°, with the entrance on the southern side, about two thirds the way along from the western end. The passageway is about 1.5 metres wide and less than a metre high, and still covered with nine capstones. Traces of a mound exist, particularly at the west end.

It looks to me as though it has been messed about with substantially, and maybe rebuilt fairly recently, as lots of the stones have sharpish edges, and don't look weathered right. It is also suffering from being where it is, and it is now a bit of a childrens playground, with the rubbish and suchlike that that entails. Still, it is here with us today.

Le Caveau de Kerivoa

Date Added: 18th Sep 2010
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 17th Oct 2008

Log Text: None

Doigt de Gargantua (Côtes-D'Armor)

Trip No.203  Entry No.591  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This 2.5 metre tall, thin menhir stands guard beside the footpath overlooking the splendid Forte de la Latte, at the headland of the same name to the east of Cap Fréhel. On a late June Monday afternoon it was very busy here, and getting a space in the car park was a problem. The bushes surrounding the giant's finger have grown substantially since my last visit several years ago, and now the views from here are severely limited. Before there was a tremendous panorama of all the sea and headlands around, and with the fort below. Not so now.

Dolmen de Ville Goudier

Trip No.203  Entry No.595  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Marked as a menhir on the ign maps, this large standing stone can be seen from the D.768 road across a field of wheat, about 100 metres away and underneath a pine tree near to the Trégon water tower. I could initially see no way of getting any nearer, and I estimated it to be about 2 metres high. However, I later found a way round the back.

The stone is about 2 metres tall and fairly chunky. There are lots of other large stones around here also, perhaps field clearance, or perhaps this is the remains of a tomb of some kind.

Ville-Tinguy dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.594  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Despite supposedly having a footpath to it, and being only 80 metres to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, this dolmen proved difficult for me to get right up to, in its field of barley. I have seen it described as an allée couverte, but it looked more like a simple dolmen to me, unless there is much of it ruined and not visible amongst the crops. At least one capstone is held up proudly in place for all to see as they drive past.

Beleven allée couverte

Trip No.209  Entry No.11  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Remains of a fairly disturbed but mostly complete allée couverte can be found in dark woodland to the northwest of the village of Plouer-sur-Rance, to the north of the magnificent ancient city of Dinan. Although the quartz block stones of this 14 metre long allée couverte are fairly well disturbed, it is in fact mostly complete, with a well defined terminal cella, and even with traces of its mound still to be seen. It is possible that it once had a lateral entrance.

Remarkably, it is stated that this monument was only discovered in 1972, which I find hard to believe, and it was classified as a monument historique as recently as 1981.

The poor thing is very close to a busy express highway, the N176, which runs along this northern edge of Brittany, but although the noise from the traffic is constant, the dense woodlands do a good job of hiding it all.

Despite looking on maps as if it would be very difficult to access, its on a wooded hillside right next to the dual carriageway road , there is in fact an emergency phone and layby nearby on the northbound carriageway, where it is possible to park and visit the monument. From the layby, hop over a little fence and follow a well worn path to the left for about 100 metres, and there it is ! Brilliant, its like the layby is deliberately put there for us stonehunters !

Pierre de Minoz

Date Added: 18th Sep 2010
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 11th Nov 2009

Log Text: None

Ville Pichard Cairn

Trip No.203  Entry No.588  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: High up on the clifftop near Pléneuf-Val-André overlooking the sea in two directions can be found this very overgrown cairn. Despite getting near after a very long walk round the coastal path, I could not get to the actual cairn through the gorse and brambles. Supposedly the remains of three dolmenic chambers with entry passages can be seen in the mound with drystone chambers, but there was no chance of seeing any of that for me on my visit. But what a fantastic place this is.

Ville Hamon Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.590  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This poor thing is a bit of a mess. Difficult to find without a detailed map, but only a few dozen metres from a track, on top of a good sized mound, to the east of the town of Erquy. What remains is basically a large jumble of stones on top of a mound. It was probably a very large dolmen with entry passage, but the stones have mostly broken into a heap. One large section of capstone still sits on two bits of upright, but the rest is all on the ground. The stones cover an area about 6m by 6m, and several edge set slabs can be made out. Thankfully it is all tended to, and the undergrowth had been recently cut when I visited.

Tanouëdou tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.578  Date Added: 8th Jun 2020
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a large bronze age tumulus, diameter 40 metres and height 6 metres, which once contained a tomb made of wood and stone within which were found many bronze weapons, gold studs and jewelry when excavated in 1865. It is signposted and found on top of a hill behind a farm to the south east of Bourbriac. There are several other smaller tumuli nearby.

Trois-Tables-en-Place

Trip No.203  Entry No.563  Date Added: 3rd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 2

Log Text: The Trois-Tables-en-Place is a bit of a monster allée couverte, on the little island of Ile-Milliau which is reachable by foot only an hour or so each side of low tide. It is situated on a low flat spot just behind the farm buildings, in pretty much the middle of the island.

It has three capstones still on top of the upright supports, hence it's name, and there is at least another one fallen at the eastern end. It is about 14 metres long by 2 metres wide, and more than 2 metres high, with more than enough room to comfortably stand up inside.

What a lovely situation this is in, out in the sea amongst all these rocks and islets. The island itself is now a nature reserve and the previous buildings are uninhabited. This is a smashing place, and well worth the effort of a visit. There are rabbits hopping around everywhere, but a pity it has started to rain.

La Roche (Uzel)

Trip No.203  Entry No.587  Date Added: 8th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This little menhir is probably about 2.5 metres tall, standing on the slopes above the road and stream, positioned just outside a wood, making it visible from the road. I thought this to be a strange place for a menhir, on a slope this steep.

Notre Dame-de-Lorette Alignements

Trip No.203  Entry No.586  Date Added: 8th Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: Just outside the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette chapel is what I have seen described in various sources as a cromlech, allée couverte, tumulus or long barrow. From my visit, I have to say it is difficult to say just what this is the remains of. There is a signpost which says that it is the remains of a neolithic long barrow.

Basically, just to the north of the chapel are two rows of stones, lined up at about 100°, which are 20 metres long and 10 metres apart. The two rows are of different stones, the northern row being being chunky blocks of grey quartz, while the southern row is tall slender pointy green dolerite. Around the western end are some more blocks which could be seen as making a horseshoe. So perhaps it is all of the above, the outer ring of stones around a barrow, from which the remains of any allée couverte have long since gone.

Whatever, it is all in a very pleasant position, high up on a hilltop with glimpses of splendid views between the trees. It's all very nicely tended green parkland with a few picnic tables. Obviously a special place for many thousands of years, with many different signs of human reverence.

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette spring

Trip No.203  Entry No.585  Date Added: 8th Jun 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: Just to the west of the little chapel at the top of the hill is a nice little spring with a full blown well house built on top of it. Water gushes up into a crystal clear pool, and there is even a tap with a local authority certificate of cleanliness. There is of course a cross and suchlike also. The well is legendary for curing earache !

La Hautière

Trip No.203  Entry No.593  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a fairly large allée couverte in a field to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, which had just been cropped for hay when I visited, so it was easy to get to. The main passage is about 14 metres long, oriented to 155°, and has 6 capstones still in place. Many of the sidestones have fallen inwards, so there is not much of a covered passageway left, more a long pile of stones ! The large western endstone can still be seen in its place though.