Dolmen d'Urbe

Trip No.204  Entry No.180  Date Added: 21st Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: In stark contrast to many places, the lovely medeival city of Crocq is proud of its dolmen, which I wasn’t going to bother with as it looks difficult to find on the big map. However, its shown on all the town maps, and clearly signposted along Route du Dolmen from the town. And they sell postcards of it !!!

Its a pleasant 500 metre walk from a parking place, slightly uphill and into the forest. The dolmen is a pleasant, pretty thing made of granite blocks. The massive capstone sits on six closely spaced support stones making an oval chamber about 2.5 m by 1.5 m in size, and about 1.5 m high. Unfortunately a seventh support stone at the back has fallen inwards, leaving a big opening. All the support stones have flat face inwards, and lean slightly in towards the top, a bit like the wonderful Pierre Folle de Saint-Priest-la-Feuille. The entrance to this dolmen is at the eastern end.

To find their husband here, the local girls have to jump over the dolmen - quite a hard task I would imagine !

Saint-Hilaire Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.175  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Jul 2005

Log Text: I could not find this, despite it being clearly marked on my ign 1:100,000 map. However, it seem to be no longer marked on any new maps, I wonder whether it is a casualty of the N.145 trunk road, or whether it is still to be found somewhere near to the big road junction.

Dolmen de la Pierre Euberte

Trip No.204  Entry No.176  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 22nd Jul 2005

Log Text: I thought that I perhaps saw this dolmen on its hillside position, but I could find nowhere to park, and saw no obvious way through the houses and fields to get to where I thought it was.

Dolmen de la Croix Blanche (Felletin)

Trip No.204  Entry No.179  Date Added: 21st Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Couldn't find on 23rd Jul 2005

Log Text: To the east of Felletin, on the D.10 road to Crocq, is supposedly this dolmen, at the hamlet of Croix Blanche. I looked long and hard but found nothing except for a sign telling me about it, and how it had had a grant from various people for restoration in 1987-89. Apparently its an Angevin dolmen, but whether its in the dense woodland, or in the field of tall sweetcorn, I do not know! There was nobody around to ask.

Bras Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.23  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This beautiful little dolmen is fairly easily found to the south of the village of Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles along the D.44 road. Just to the north of where the road crosses the river Benaize is a place to park and a signposted footpath to the west. The footpath is well marked with orange marks, and after a couple of hundred metres walk turn right and go up the hill for a further hundred metres.

The dolmen has a rectangular chamber, 3.5 metres by 2 metres, built on the hillside overlooking the river, and it is open to the south. The single granite capstone is 4 metres long by 3 metres wide, and a lovely curved shape, looking from certain directions like an elongated mushroom. It sits on top of seven support stones, with a couple more fallen below it. There are remains of a mound around it, circular and approximately 15 metres in diameter. It is possible that there was once an entry passage, as there are signs of side set slabs on the down slope from the dolmen. The stones here are covered with lots of nice moss. This is such a nice dolmen I was inspired to try and do a little drawing or two.

Pierre Levée au Bois Bouéry

Trip No.205  Entry No.21  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: In the forest to the southwest of Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles, this dolmen is easily found as it is signposted from the D.2 road, several kilometres to the north. From the road that leads to the dolmen, it is just a hundred metres walk from a parking place, and it resides in a little forest clearing.

The dolmen is quite a big one, made from granite rocks. The capstone is sort of mushroom shaped, and about 5 metres in diameter. It sits on top of 5 support stones, with at least one other fallen, and is about 1.5 metres off the ground. It covers an oval shaped chamber 4 metres by 3 metres internal dimensions with the probable entrance to the east. The support stone at the northern side appears to have engravings on it, and I would put money on the markings not being natural. Near to the ground is a classic palette about 40 cm long pointing towards the right, and above this a classic necklace and breasts, or else a smiley face. I have not seen any reference to there being carvings here.

Betoulle dolmen 2

Trip No.204  Entry No.165  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is another nice dolmen, found just inside a fieldby the roadside a few kilometres south of Berneuil. You can find it by turning left at the crossroads near La Lue dolmen, and travelling a couple of kilometres until just past the big road on the right.

It is a nice tall dolmen with a nice capstone sat upon six support stones, covering a chamber 3 m by 2 m. Closer inspection again shows a reconstruction job, with some cemented together broken stones. Perhaps this was completely enclosed, but the entrance today is again to the west. A few other stones and chunks lie nearby.

Bagnol Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.172  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Just beside the D.7 Road to the east of the station at Fromental is found this nice little dolmen, with a parking space and picnic area. The egg shaped capstone covers an oval chamber about 3 metres long and 2 metres wide. The pointed end points to the west, sitting on four slide slabs about 1.8 metres above the ground. It is open to both east and west ends.

Menhir des Fichades

Trip No.204  Entry No.173  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: At the hamlet of Grand Bagnols, on the D.7 Road, take the little side lane to the south (best to park and walk). The Menhir des Fichades is signposted and only a couple of hundred metres from the road. It stands in a field beside a wood, just above a little stream, and I suspect it was a natural rock which has been stood up, as there are many other rocks like this in the little valley above the stream. It stands about 3 metres tall, and is nicely shaped with a curved top.

Rouffignac Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.170  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: From the hamlet of Rouffignac, this little dolmen is signposted and easily found, about 400 metres along the track opposite the farm, first to the west, and then south (left) into a little recently cleared area amongst thet trees. The dolmen is a simple thing, with a 2.5 by 2.5 metre capstone sat on three upright supports, about one metre above the ground. The capstone has several 30 mm cupules carved into it, and also a fairly large diameter circle - or semi circle at least, which I think must be relatively modern.

Ceinturat Menhir

Trip No.204  Entry No.168  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: "Megalithes" are signposted to the south of Montemart, and following these signs takes you first to a parking place from where a 700 metre walk to the Ceinturat Menhir can be taken. I was surprised by how big it is, as it is taller than 5 metres and looks like the top has been broken off. It has a flat north face, but a rounded southern face, which faces downhill. These days it is in a little woodland clearing, surrounded on one side by oak forest, the other by gorse and bracken. Shaded by the trees as it is, it looks like it is a stone tree trunk with branches growing out of it. A nice start to the day.

Pierre a Cupules (Arnac)

Trip No.204  Entry No.169  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: On a green grassy area at the southern edge of the village of Arnac, is found this nice standing stone, standing about 2.5 metres tall. But the noticeable thing about this stone are all the cupules, or cupmarks, engraved into it.

Not immediately obvious in the mid day sunshine, but the first marks to stand out are on the southeast edge, where there appears to be a couple of rows of 35 mm diameter holes running in a line up the edge. Closer inspection shows a very flat southern face - possibly with checkerboard markings on it, and cupules running up the edges from top to bottom. On the northern face, also flattened, the whole stone is covered with these cupules, loads and loads of them. There must be at least a hundred. There does not appear to be anything on the two sides of the stone.

La Lue Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.163  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the west of Berneuil, travel a couple of kilometres along the D.83 and you come to this dolmen at a bend in the road, just after a crossroads, where it is about 30 metres into the field. It has a 4 m by 2 m chamber facing east, made of two long sidestones and with two smaller stones at the back of the chamber, which are made of a different coloured rock. I wonder if it has been "restored". It is covered by a large single capstone about 5m by 4m, but this is now cracked and broken into two pieces. There are traces of a small stone mound around it.

Borderie Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.164  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A couple of kilometres west of Berneuil, along the D.83, turn right at the crossroads besides the La Lue dolmen. After a couple of hundred metres there is a trackway to the right, and signposted "dolmen", and then walk along there for another couple of hundred metres.

This is a very pleasant and nice looking dolmen on first sight, standing almost 2 metres tall. But closer inspection leaves me wondering about its authenticity. Firstly there is a fence built right through it, and secondly the entrance, with a fallen stone, is to the west. Inspection of the support stones shows many of them to have been broken and cemented back together from fragments. It is obviously a reconstruction of some sort, but how accurate I would not like to say. However, the chamber is about 3.5 m by 2.5 m with a nice capstone sitting proudly on top at head height.

Betoulle dolmen 1

Trip No.204  Entry No.166  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 21st Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I spent quite some time looking for the second dolmen here, in all the hedges and adjacent fields nearby. But never just a few yards across the same field, where a large slab can be found ! Doh !

Betoulle dolmen 3

Trip No.204  Entry No.167  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 21st Jul 2005

Log Text: Some stone slab remains at the base of a tree in the field the other side of the road.

Menhir du Pic

Trip No.204  Entry No.171  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Jul 2005

Log Text: I could not find this.

Dolmen de l'Héritière

Trip No.205  Entry No.22  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st Aug 2005

Log Text: To the southwest of Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles, between Bouéry and Bras dolmens, in the commune of Arnac-la-Poste, is another dolmen marked on my ign 1:100,000 map, near to the hamlet of L'Ecluse. At the road junction, there was a sign with a dolmen marked on it, with a name something like Le Pau Montbugnard. But following the sign, I was unable to find another, and was not able to find the dolmen. Parking along these little roads was difficult, so I was not able to get out and have a proper look around in the fields and woods. Shame, because the other two round here are little crackers. I could not find a detailed map to look at in either St-Sulpice or Arnac.

Palet de Sanson

Trip No.200  Entry No.30  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 1st May 2000. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Drive south from Toulouse with the intention of climbing the Pic des Trois Seigneurs, have to stop, too much snow at 2055m. Superb up here. Back via Aulus, Arse, Seix. Strange language spoken out here. On the way down, stop to look at the Dolmen de Sem, also know as Palet de Sanson. A remarkably sited dolmen in the Pyrenees, near to the village of Vicdessos, Ariege, France. Pictures taken 1st May 2000. I discovered this dolmen while driving up the valley on a day trip to climb the Pic des Trois Seigneurs (I failed to get to the top due to the depth of the snow on the final ridge), which may be the mountain in the left background of this picture.

Grotte de Mas D'Azil

Trip No.205  Entry No.70  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Parked at the upstream end of the Mas d'Azil cave, and it hits home again just how MASSIVE this cave is. I walk through the cave again, partly to check where the low bits are for the van. I have forgotten that you can see all sorts of bits and pieces of passages inside.

Decided not to bother with the paid visit, although perhaps I should have, cos I spent enough other time here anyway. A bungy jump has been set up outside the south entrance to the cave, and I watch people doing this for a while - seeing people dropping and hanging in front of the cave entrance really shows the scale. Eventually leave and drive through the cave to the village.