Pierre Longue (Noyal-sous-Bazouges)

Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 18th Oct 2010

Log Text: None

Pierre Longue (Fohet)

Trip No.204  Entry No.189  Date Added: 24th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Auvergne:Puy-de-Dôme (63))
Visited: Yes on 25th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a lovely menhir standing four and three quarter metres tall at the top of the high hills near the village of Fohet. Its obviously been fairly recently re-erected, as one side is all dirt covered from being on the ground, and there is a sign in the village pointing to "menhir couché"! The views from here are breathtaking in all directions. To the northwest the Chaine-des-Puys range of volcanoes, with Puy-de-Dome standing high above the others in the line of almost cartoon perfect cones. To the east there are long views over the hills and deep valleys, and to the south can be seen the other Auvergne mountains. To the southwest is Puy-de-Sancy, unfortunately today covered in clouds.

Pierre Levée du Grand Gât

Trip No.204  Entry No.131  Date Added: 15th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Yes on 19th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A couple of kilometres south of the village of Moutiers-Sous-Argenton, on the little lane to nowhere really, and there is a sign to dolmen, 250m. I walked at least a kilometre along the main track without finding it ! The trick is to not stay on the main track, but to keep straight on always, and yes, the dolmen is there about 250 metres from the road to the left of the track.

This appears to be a dolmen with entrance corridor, but I cannot be certain. The main chamberis about 3m by 2m and has a couple of sidestones and a capstone, though the backstone is missing. At the southeast end is a closing stone and an entrance passage of some sort, though this is mostly fallen, and I cannot be sure of the arrangement. This was a nice little country walk, and I got a very close view of a heron circling around and fishing.

Pierre Levée dolmen 2 (Villedieu)

Trip No.205  Entry No.253  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Auvergne:Cantal (15))
Visited: Yes on 26th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Unfortunately, this cannot be reached from its near neighbours, and instead it has to be walked to quite a distance (about 1 km) from a point where you start the walk to the Tombe du Capitaine. It's a pleasant walk along a well signposted track, and then across a hilltop field.

The dolmen is in very poor condition, basically one large side slab in a hollow in the centre of its tumulus. However, the tumulus is in fine condition, about 15 metres in diameter and up to 1.5 metres in height. Around the outside at certain places it seems to be encircled with a sort of stone slab walling. This is in a lovely spot, and was well worth the effort to get to. I wouldn't be surprised if there was once another dolmen in this mound.

Pierre Levée dolmen 1 (Villedieu)

Trip No.205  Entry No.252  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Auvergne:Cantal (15))
Visited: Yes on 26th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: The remains of this dolmen can be found just to the east of the D.44 road, about 30 metres from the menhir. There is still quite a respectable mound of small stones, diameter about 12 metres, surrounding the remains of the dolmen, but the megalithic chamber has been largely destroyed, leaving not much more than a hollow in the centre of the tumulus. One large side slab and an entry stone are all that obviously remain in place.

Pierre Levée de Soullans

Trip No.203  Entry No.290  Date Added: 24th Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 7th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: In a little forest clearing beside the busy D. 69 road to the south of Challons, I found this stone because of the restaurante of the same name. It is a big stone, 4 metres high, more than 3 metres wide and 1 metre thick. It suffers badly from vandalism and graffitti, including lots of hippy crap in English. Nearby is a Rue de Pierre Levée, and a sign to menhir which I followed thinking that there might be another. I couldnt find anything, and so asked a chap out in his garden. It basically takes you round a back way through the woods to the same stone I had just visited, rather than getting to it by walking along and crossing the busy main road.

Pierre Levée de Soubise

Trip No.203  Entry No.287  Date Added: 24th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 7th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: I cant see much of a future for this poor little dolmen, which is currently pleasantly situated on a little mound on some sandy heathland. Marker tape and trenches are set out around it, with diggers and other heavy plant, and I would think that before too long this whole area will be a building site for yet more holiday homes in this very popular beach and holiday area.

The dolmen is a simple thing, with its 2.5 by 2 metre capstone sat at a jaunty angle on top of three support stones. A few other stones lay scattered around on the remains of its tumulus. A sarcophagus and three bodies were found here in 1901. According to legend, the table spins at the sound of the bells of the nearby St Nicholas-de-Brem church.

Pierre levée de Picarel

Trip No.200  Entry No.5  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 26th Mar 2000

Log Text: Seen from the road during a drive SE from Toulouse to explore Les Montagnes Noire. Revel, Saissac, Mas Cabardès, Chateaux de Lastours, Gorges de la Clamoux, Dolmens, Mazamet, Toulouse.

Pierre Levée de Chenillée

Trip No.203  Entry No.254  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nicely smoothed and shaped menhir, which must be about 4.5 metres tall, 2.5 metres wide and 1 metre thick. It is just off a farm track beside the road, and is signposted.

Pierre Levée de Bougon

Trip No.204  Entry No.147  Date Added: 17th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Couldn't find on 20th Jul 2005

Log Text: Unless this is another name for the Dolmen des Sept Chemins, I could find nothing for this.

Pierre Levée de Boisy

Trip No.205  Entry No.268  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Centre:Indre (36))
Visited: Couldn't find on 27th Sep 2005

Log Text: The village of Bagneux has a signposted footpath of length 5.5 km which takes in three megalithic sites. One of these sites is this menhir. I didn't have time to do the full walk, and without a detailed map, and no obvious signs to the menhir, I didn't really know where to look. I have since found this menhir marked on a detailed map, and it would have perhaps been a fairly simple few hundred metres walk from the Bellevue farm.

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.

Pierre Levée (Villedieu)

Trip No.205  Entry No.251  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Auvergne:Cantal (15))
Visited: Yes on 26th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Beside the D.44 road west of St Flour, near to the hamlet of Fraissinet can be found this megalithic collection of a standing stone and two dolmens, within 300 metres of each other. The menhir is about 2 metres tall, and it stands just to the west of the road. It consists of a nice lump of pointy topped basalt.

Pierre Levée (St Léger-de-Montbrun)

Trip No.204  Entry No.129  Date Added: 13th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Yes on 18th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just to the north of the road from the town of Thouars to Loudon, a couple of kilometres east of Thouars, can be found this complex of stones. Firstly, there is a simple dolmen, 3 metres by 2 metres, within a restored circular cairn about 10 metres in diameter. The single capstone sits on two side supports and an end stone, and it appears to open to the southwest. Just north of this are lots more stones, which would seem to make one large, and one small chamber adjoining the first cairn. The large chamber would be 5 metres by 2.5 metres, while the adjoining smaller chamber is about 2 metres by 1.5 metres. This is probably to the side of what was the entranceway, facing to the east.

I don't have very much time to spend here, as it has now gone 8:00pm, so I'll have to do a very quick sketch. After a not very good start to the day, it has turned into an excellent afternoon and evening, and the sun has come out to make it even better.

Pierre Levée (Salles-de-Castillon)

Trip No.203  Entry No.221  Date Added: 21st Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This one comes with its own wine! While driving from Peyre Lebade towards Clotte I saw this stone standing at the entrance to a farmhouse wine producer and noticed that the farm was called Chateau de la Pierre Levée.

I stopped to have a better look and a man on his tractor in the vineyard came over to me so I tried to ask him about the stone. Apparently somewhere in his garage he has an archaeological panel with some information on it which he intends to get erected by the stone but he couldn’t find it. He called his wife who told him it was in the garage and went to look for herself also to no avail ! At this point I enquired of their wine and got taken on a little tour of the place and a tasting or two (how could I refuse?) so of course bought a case of mixed vintages for a very reasonable price as a souvenir.

The menhir at the entrance is just over 2 metres tall but I have to say looks fairly recently erected there although the stone looks as old as the hills. I think I saw somewhere that the menhir after which the wine is named was in a corner of a field. Perhaps it has been fairly recently moved here. It’s a pity I couldn’t fully converse with the chap he had a thick accent which didn’t help and although we chatted well about simple things the details were missed.

Pierre Levée (Liniez)

Trip No.205  Entry No.264  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Centre:Indre (36))
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Just outside the village of Liniez, along the D.926 road towards Vatan, and to the right of the road can be seen the remains of this allée couverte. It was probably an Angevin type allée couverte, but there are no obvious remains of the porchway. The remains of the chamber are 10 metres long by 4 metres wide, and it was probably covered by four capstones, of which three remain in various positions, from still in place at the back end, sloping in the middle and flat on the ground at the front. Several side slabs remain, as does the backslab, and there is evidence of a possible internal partition, although it could be bits of broken capstone. The back cell of the chamber is still all nicely erect, making this a pleasant monument to visit. It is all orientated towards the east at 070°.

Pierre Levée (La Grange)

Trip No.204  Entry No.303  Date Added: 12th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Centre:Indre-et-Loire (37))
Visited: Yes on 11th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a large upright slab, 3.5 metres high and 3 metres wide, in a field overlooking a stream. Beside it are a few more large slabs, but they don’t look like they have broken off the top, although it is possible. It's a lovely limestone sort of slab, and looks like holes have been drilled into it in places, perhaps in an attempt to break it up.

I only found this at the second attempt, along the track from near La Grange farm from the west, after completely failing to even find the track from the east by the railway bridge, as fishing ponds have been made all along the valley.

Pierre Guénachère

Trip No.204  Entry No.203  Date Added: 27th Aug 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Bourgogne:Saône-et-Loire (71))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a large granite blockdeep in the forest near a little stream, about one kilometres walk from the farm of La Madeleine, just to the west of St Emiland. Take the track beside the farm, keeping left, and after some distance it is signposted.

The stone is a granite block, 4m by 3m by 2m high, which has got several strange carvings in it, particularly large circles. On the north side there are three circles, between 70 cm and 1 metre in diameter, while on the south side there is a straight line and a large, deeply cut circle, more than one metre in diameter. These symbols seem to have been very roughly hewn with stone tools, and it is thought that they are prehistoric. There are many legends associated with this stone, of which I don't know any.

Pierre Fritte de Yermenonville

Trip No.204  Entry No.264  Date Added: 9th Sep 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Centre:Eure-et-Loire (28))
Visited: Yes on 7th Aug 2005. My rating: Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: In the village of Mevoisins I saw a sign pointing to Dolmen de la Pierre Fitte, so I stopped and went for a look. Little did I realise that I would be walking 2.5 kilometres to it, at 7:00pm in the evening ! And when I finally got there, I couldn't even see the dolmen, as it was undergoing excavations by Archaeo, and enclosed in a tent. There were all sorts of tents and equipment, but nobody around at this time on a Sunday evening, so I left one of my cards. There was a pile of stones on old tyres in one part of the site, and I wondered if these were the dolmen stones. From what I could see through small openings in the big tents, there were no large stones to be seen, just sort of trenches etc, I guess the stones have been moved out of the way. While I was at Mevoisins menhir I had seen a row of cars slowly driving across the fields, and this must have been the archaeologists leaving for the day. While I was walking back, two cars drove past, and on up to the tents. I had missed them by 5 minutes, and might have got a guided tour of the site. Pity its so late, and that I ought to stop.

Pierre Frite de Breuilpont

Trip No.202  Entry No.88  Date Added: 30th Mar 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Normandie:Eure (27))
Visited: Couldn't find on 3rd May 2005

Log Text: As for the other menhirs in this river valley I could find no evidence of this menhir. The roads are terribly kept and there are almost no places to turn a campervan so I travelled over much more roads than I would have otherwise done.